Strangers in an Airport
by FaithinBones
Summary: Booth and Brennan didn't first meet at American University during the Gemma Arrington case. This story is AU.
1. Chapter 1

Many years in the past when Brennan was 18 and Booth was 23 years old.

I don't own Bones.

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Sitting in the airport, Temperance Brennan sipped coffee from a Styrofoam cup and concentrated on her latest copy of American Anthropologist. She was on the way to Northwestern University to begin her studies and her flight from Cincinnati was being delayed due to bad weather. Sitting at the end of a row of seats, she was mesmerized with the article she was reading when she felt someone sit down next to her.

"Hey there, watcha reading."

Surprised that someone was talking to her, Brennan closed her magazine and turned to stare at the stranger. "I'm currently reading an article titled 'Anthropological Atheism and the Temptation to Believe'. Apparently 'going native' is one of the few remaining taboos within Anthropology. It's considered antithetical to the social scientist's stance of objectivity and standing as a professional . . . "

"Whoa there." The handsome stranger rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know what you're talking about, so just stop. I came over here to talk to you not to be lectured to."

Confused, Brennan shook her head. "I wasn't lecturing you. You asked me what I was reading and I explained it to you."

Irritated, the man moved his hand and placed it on her arm. "Okay, I get it. So anyway, my flight is delayed and I saw you sitting here and it kind of confused me that a beautiful woman like you was sitting alone. You shouldn't be alone, so here I am. My name is Kyle."

Uncomfortable, Brennan shifted her arm so she could escape the touch of the stranger. "I don't like to be touched by people I don't know. Please refrain from touching me."

His nostrils flaring, Kyle glared at Brennan. "If this is how you treat someone when they compliment you then no wonder you're alone."

"Hey Buddy. Why don't you leave her alone?" The young soldier stood in front of Kyle and glared at him. "She obviously doesn't want you to touch her."

His anger growing, Kyle stood up and glowered at the younger man. "Who the hell do you think you are? This is none of your business."

A smirk on his face, Seeley Booth glanced at the young woman and then back at the very angry man. "I'm the man who's going to beat the shit out of you if you don't walk away." Booth's eyes glinted in a hard stare and with it his face suddenly looked very menacing.

A cold chill running down his spine, Kyle noticed the 75th Ranger Regimental patch on Booth's uniform and realized that he was threatening someone very dangerous. "You're so full of shit." Lifting his chin, he glared at the younger man. "You can't touch me. It would be a court martial offense."

"Well I can touch you." Brennan stood up and glared at the man. "If you don't leave, I will be forced to defend myself and in so doing I will probably end up embarrassing you. I must warn you that I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and I am not afraid to defend myself."

The situation now out of hand, Kyle shook his head. "Lady you are definitely not worth this amount of trouble." Jamming his hands in his pockets he stalked away.

"Damn that was hot." Booth smiled at the young woman in admiration. "I mean really hot."

Her cheeks a bright rosy red, Brennan smiled at the handsome soldier. "I'm not sure why you are saying that."

Moving closer to her, Booth decided he wanted to talk to this intriguing young woman and sat down. "It means you don't take shit from anyone and that is so cool. I like a woman that can take care of herself. It's just so hot to me."

"Oh, so you mean you are sexually attracted to me." Brennan sat down and picked up her magazine from the floor where it had fallen earlier. "I am not currently sexually active."

Embarrassed, Booth stared at the young woman and wondered who the hell she was. "That's okay. I wasn't looking to have sex with you anyway. I just want to talk to you. You're interesting."

Intrigued, Brennan stared at the older man. "Thank you. I'm not good at small talk either. I usually find that to be boring since I have nothing in common with most people I meet."

Amused, Booth chuckled. "Seems like you're doing okay to me. So, where are you going?"

Brennan glanced at the board nearby and noticed her flight still said delayed. "I'm moving to Evanston, Illinois. I'm going to attend Northwestern University."

"Really?" Booth was impressed and he also realized that the young lady sitting next to him was probably about eighteen years old. A little too young for him. "What are you going to study?"

Pleased that a stranger was actually talking to her, she felt less socially awkward than usual. "My field of study is Forensic Anthropology."

"Wow." Booth was thoroughly impressed. "What's that?"

More than happy to talk about her favorite subject, Brennan explained. "It's a special sub-field of physical anthropology that involves applying skeletal analysis and techniques in archaeology to solving criminal cases."

Really impressed, Booth nodded his head. "That sounds pretty cool. I'm thinking about going into law enforcement some day when I get out of the service. Maybe the CIA or the FBI."

Brennan took a longer look at her companion and nodded her head. "I don't plan to work with law enforcement. I would like to use my knowledge to identify victims of war crimes or help identify victims of cold cases. Their voices have been muted and someone like myself could give their families closure and perhaps justice."

Booth really was intrigued with this serious woman sitting next to him. Before he could say anything further an announcement from a nearby loud speaker made Brennan grab her purse and backpack at her feet and stand up. "My flight is no longer delayed. I must leave. It was nice speaking to you."

Filled with regret that he wouldn't be able to learn more about her, Booth stood up and smiled. "Hey, it was nice meeting you. Good luck and I hope you knock them dead."

Brennan opened her mouth and the closed it. A giggle escaping her, she shook her head. "You made a joke. That was very amusing."

Pleased with himself, Booth grinned. "Thanks . . . Good-bye."

"Good-bye." Brennan turned and hurried towards her gate. She regretted that she had to leave after meeting such a kind stranger. Embarrassed, she realized that she hadn't found out what his name was. Turning, she scanned the area behind her and realized that he had moved on. Sad that she had found someone that she was comfortable around and yet wouldn't be able to get to know better, she hoped that someday she would meet someone like him and they could become friends. _It would be nice to have a friend._

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

(About a year before The pilot/just before The Pilot)

A/N: This was going to be a one shot, but I had numerous requests for more. I hope you like it.

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

When he entered the lecture hall, Brennan knew she'd seen him before, she just didn't remember where. As she continued her lecture, he moved closer towards her down the aisle and she realized that he was the soldier she had met in the airport when she was eighteen years old. She had eidetic memory and it never failed her.

Her lecture complete, Brennan stood on the stage as the familiar stranger asked her about keeping the flesh on the bones of murder victims since that was where the evidence usually was. It was an intelligent question and she was pleased that he had asked it. Of course, she felt that bones were more important and she had told him so.

Intrigued that he might be a student at the university her interest was further piqued when he introduced himself as Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI. She finally had a name to match his handsome face.

And interestingly enough, he had challenged her. He was working on a cold case and it was getting colder. Up for a challenge she was pleased to be working with someone she had come to think of as a friend. Through the years, she had often thought about the young soldier who had befriended her in the airport and she was more that happy to help him.

Their first foray as a partnership had ended in disaster and Brennan had found herself in an unusual situation. Normally she didn't care if someone didn't like her or if that person didn't get along with her. She was an extremely intelligent, beautiful woman who didn't need anyone's approval and yet their argument and the words he had said at their parting had stung. _Really?_ _The way you use your brain to make people around you feel stupid._

She had made him feel stupid and in her angered state she hadn't cared. She had told him she hated him and his reaction? _What are you, 10 years old? I'm not your Dad._

The worst part of the whole thing? She'd struck him. She had let herself become over emotional when he'd pulled her from the room she had slapped his face. From there it had escalated into hateful words

They both had said all the wrong words and they both vowed never to work with each other again. She had been devastated.

Sad that the friend she had thought she had found in the airport had let her down, she had gone home and cried. She didn't usually care that she had few friends, but in this case, it did matter to her. She had been alone for most of her adult life. She'd had exactly one friend in high school and that was the school janitor. Booth had been the first adult in her life to sit down and just talk to her. He hadn't had a hidden agenda, he had just been a kind and caring person.

Perhaps she had allowed her imagination to make their conversation in the airport more than it had been, but she had valued those few short minutes and now they were ashes. Alone in her apartment, she had sat on the floor in her bedroom and she had cried bitter tears. Perhaps she wasn't meant to have friends.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

As soon as he'd seen her, he'd been stunned. She was so beautiful and not at all who he'd expected. Over the next few days as they worked together, he kept having a niggling suspicion that he had met her before. Their conversations had a hint of déjà vu and it almost drove him to distraction.

After the case had been closed, he'd made a huge mistake and he had pulled Brennan from the room where Jocelyn Arrington was sitting. He knew the forensic anthropologist didn't like to be touched and yet he had thought nothing of yanking her by her arm. Of course she had become angry, but he became angrier when she reacted and slapped him. He knew he should have walked away then to calm down, but his temper rose up fast and furious and harsh words were spoken by them both.

Later, when Booth was sitting in his apartment and drinking a much needed cold beer, the image of a young girl in an airport in Ohio popped into his head and he felt instant regret.

The young woman he had met in the airport had been interesting and very intelligent. He had been drawn to her and when he thought about her afterwards he had often fantasized about being her friend. He hadn't really considered her as someone he could have sex with as she had been too young for him at the time, but she was intriguing and intelligent and those attributes alone were hard to resist. More than once, he had regretted not exchanging personal information with her. He would have loved to have kept in contact with her, but like an idiot he hadn't found out her name nor had he mentioned his. Over the years, his life became hectic, her image had been crowded out of his thoughts and after awhile he forgot about her until that evening when it came crashing back in to his mind.

Now, due to his bad temper their possible friendship was destroyed before it had begun. Why did fate keep doing that to him? Often he had been thrust into the company of fascinating women he wanted to become close to. He would try to work to make a relationship with them and for some reason he didn't understand, he would be rejected and their relationship would fall apart.

In this instance, he hadn't even started a relationship with Temperance Brennan before it fell apart. He had let his temper get the better of him and he shouldn't have. He just didn't understand why those things kept happening to him.

 _I'm done with that. I refuse to let what happened be permanent. Not again. I will get her to work with me. I will not give up. Not this time._

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She had never had anyone pursue her so hard. Not even Peter had been this intense. "Zach I've told you in the past, do not forward Agent Booth's calls to me. We have nothing to talk about."

"Yes Dr. Brennan." Zach wasn't sure why Brennan was refusing to accept the agent's calls, but it was her decision. "He is very persistent."

Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "I don't care. He's a bully and I will not work with someone like that."

"Yes Dr. Brennan." The young intern knew that once Brennan made her mind up, she rarely changed it. He admired her and he wanted to be just like her.

Leaning against the door frame, Hodgins wished he knew how to fix the problem between Brennan and Agent Booth. He had really loved working on a case for the FBI and he wanted to do more of that. He was seriously considering leaving the Jeffersonian and working for the FBI because he was so bored. The only thing that held him back was his hatred of government agencies. "So how long are you going to be in Guatemala?"

Surprised that the entomologist was standing in her office doorway, Brennan turned to stare at him. "At least two months. The Guatemalan government has requested my expertise with identifying victims of genocide."

"I see." Hodgins was sure she was leaving because of her breakup with her boyfriend Peter, but he wasn't about to mention that. Dr. Temperance Brennan did not like anyone interfering in her personal life. "Well, good luck." As he walked back to his office he formulated a plan. A sneaky plan, but hey those were always the best kind weren't they?

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan was due back in Washington D.C. in four days and Hodgins initiated his plan. He made a phone call.

 _Booth._

"I'm sure you don't remember me, but that isn't important." Hodgins hoped he would survive this plan. "My name is Dr. Jack Hodgins. I work with Dr. Brennan at the Jeffersonian. She's been in Guatemala for the last two months. She's coming home and she should be back in four days."

 _And just why do I care about that?_

Amused, Hodgins stared at his aquarium filled with tarantulas. "You call her at least twice a week, Man. Of course you're interested."

 _Okay and why do you care?_

"Because I liked working the case with you." Hodgins always used honesty when possible. It usually helped more than it hurt. "You and Dr. Brennan were great working that case together and I loved helping you two get justice for Gemma Arrington. I want to keep doing that, but that means you need to talk to Dr. Brennan and fix the mess you made."

 _The mess I made?_

"Oh believe me, you made the mess." Hodgins knew Temperance Brennan and from what he had heard, Booth pulling her out of the meeting with Mrs. Arrington had been the torch that lit the fuse. "She doesn't like people touching her. It has something to do with her childhood. Now, I've told you that she's flying back in four days. If you can talk to her before she gets back to the Jeffersonian maybe you two can fix what you broke. You can at least try."

 _Um . . . thanks._

"That's okay." Hodgins cleared his throat. "Just don't mention I talked to you. It might be bad for me if you do."

 _You got it and uh . . . thanks again._

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Let me know what you think of my story. Reviews are appreciated. Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

(The Pilot)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I definitely don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

He had thought of various scenarios and this was the plan he came up with. Do or die, this had to work. He wanted to work with Temperance Brennan again and he couldn't do it if she wouldn't even talk to him.

Once more he was going to meet Brennan in an airport, but this time they weren't strangers. She wasn't eighteen years old and he wasn't twenty-three. Angry words were presently standing between them and he needed to fix that.

As planned, his buddy from Homeland Security had arrested Brennan and held her in a room in airport security until he arrived. Worried about all of the ways his plan could go wrong, Booth finally braced his shoulders back and opened the door. Just like he'd expected, she was not happy to see him and it didn't take him long to figure out that she knew her arrest had been a set up. _Well, she is a genius and that's why I want to work with her._

After he sprang her from custody, Booth had led Brennan to his SUV. She had silently followed him to his truck and he had wondered why. He knew she was angry with him, but it puzzled him as to why she was allowing him to get her into his SUV. It didn't take long before she spoke. She had demanded he let her out of the SUV once they were away from the airport, but he had an ace in the hole. He had been working on a case and he knew that if he could get her to listen to him, she might work with him again.

Surprisingly, she had listened to him and after agreeing to give her what she wanted, which was full participation in the investigation they headed out to Arlington National Cemetery to look at a body in a pond. He hoped it was Cleo Eller. She had been missing for two years and he needed this body to be hers to make his case against Senator Bethlehem. Cleo had been a senatorial intern and there was plenty of evidence pointing to the senator having had an affair with her before she disappeared.

"Look I've been working on a missing person's case for a while. I was secondary on the case and we could never find her or find out what had happened to her." Booth hadn't really planned on this being the case that Brennan would help him with when he got her to work with him again, but fortune had favored him and presented him with a body in a pond that morning. "I'm hoping that this is her . . . well, not really. I'm actually hoping she's still alive somewhere, but what I am expecting is that this to going to turn out to be Cleo Louise Eller. My gut tells me it's her."

"Your gut?" Brennan thought that was the craziest thing she had ever heard from a law enforcement officer. "You use your brain to think. Not your gut."

Annoyed, Booth kept his eyes on the road. "I've been in law enforcement for a while and I have a knack about things. The longer you work with me the more you'll understand."

"Who says I'm going to work with you for very long?" Brennan was still hurt about how their first case had ended and she wasn't so sure she wanted to work with Booth. This was more or less a trial run for them both. If they proved to be incompatible then they would sever their association.

Not pleased with her last statement, Booth closed his mouth and drove the rest of the way to the Cemetery in silence. His temper had got him into trouble the last time they worked together and it wouldn't happen again. He did learn from his mistakes. He just wished he had been more patient the first time he had worked with her and they weren't at odds with each other.

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As they worked together, Booth's admiration for Brennan's abilities grew. She was a genius when it came to bones and he wanted her to be his partner. Right now, they were on speaking terms, but there was little trust between them. There was also the added pressure that Booth was being held responsible for any and all the things that Brennan did while out in the field by the Deputy Director. His career was basically on the line and she didn't seem to understand that.

At least not until she confronted Senator Bethlehem and his aid by herself and Booth was pulled from the case. It was from that point in time that Brennan realized that her actions would be paid for by Booth and that embarrassed and angered her. The fact that he didn't blame her and he still wanted her to work with him did a lot to fix the rift that had erupted between them.

They worked hard and they worked quickly and in the end they solved the riddle. Cleo had been murdered by the Ken Thompson, the Senator's aid. After Thompson was arrested for murder and attempted murder, Booth was forced by the Deputy Director to formally arrest Brennan for felony assault. Her case was quickly thrown out considering Thompson was threatening to set her on fire at the time she shot him.

"I didn't want to arrest you Bones, but I was told I had to." Booth was embarrassed by the whole thing. "Cullen said it would look bad if a Senator's aid was shot and we didn't at least go through the formal process of booking you. He and I both knew the case wouldn't stick. It was just a formality."

She had been very irritated when Booth had arrested her, but in the end she realized that he was following orders and he could do nothing else. "I understand."

They were on the way to the funeral of Cleo Eller and Booth thought this was a good time to talk to Brennan. "You know after that first time we worked together and we fought . . . well afterward, I remembered where I'd seen you before. When I saw you at the lecture hall, I had a feeling that I'd seen you before, but I just couldn't remember when or where and after you told me you wouldn't work with me anymore, I remembered. In 1994, you were in the airport in Cincinnati and some douchebag was trying to pick you up. He was holding your arm and you didn't like it."

"I remember." Brennan was surprised that Booth remembered since most people didn't have that kind of memory. "I'm surprised you remember me. We only talked for about fifteen minutes and we didn't exchange names."

His eyes on the road ahead, Booth cleared his throat. "You're memorable Bones. Believe me. If we'd had more time at the airport, I would have asked you for your name. I . . . I liked you immediately and I thought we could have been good friends if we'd had more time to get to know each other."

A little shocked with his confession, Brennan stared intently at Booth. "You are basing that assumption upon a few minutes of conversation."

Booth wasn't sure if she was angry or amused, but he didn't care. He needed to speak what was on his mind. "What does that matter? You're kind of my standard. You're bright and intelligent, a genius . . . you're brave and you're beautiful. Why wouldn't I want to be your friend? That guy that was bothering you, he was about a foot taller than you and you threatened to hand him his ass. That was so damn hot and I remember I told you that too . . . look what you did to Ken Thompson. He was going to burn you up along with his house and you shot him in the leg. You did that calmly and rationally. I got to say that's even hotter than when you hit Judge Hasty in the nose."

A slight smile on her face, Brennan shook her head. "That's four time you've called me hot. I wasn't sexually active the first time you said it, but I am now."

His eyes sliding over to glance at Brennan, Booth gripped the steering wheel in his hands tighter. "Um, okay." Filled with a certain amount of regret, Booth moved his gaze back towards the road. "If you want to work with me, we have to keep our relationship from getting too personal. It's against the rules for us to fraternize if we're partners."

Disappointed with that bit of news, Brennan nodded her head. "I like working with you, Booth. I'd like to continue to do so."

Slowly, Booth nodded his head and smiled. "Me too, Bones. You're the best partner I've ever had."

"It's too bad though." Brennan decided that her new partner should know what he's missing. "I'm very good in bed."

Booth groaned. "Damn it."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you. Would you be interested in more or is this a good stopping place?


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

A/n: This is a reminder that this story is AU. I haven't decided how long this story is going to be. It was supposed to be a one shot, but you should all be use to me changing my mind about one shots by now.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

In her office, Brennan sat behind her desk and stared at the far wall, lost in thought about her new partnership. She'd never really met anyone like Booth before. He was different from most men that she had had to deal with in her life. He didn't seem to mind that she was so much smarter than he was. In fact he had called her his standard. That was new.

Most men she had hooked up with in the past fit into two categories, associates that she worked with or men who fascinated her and just helped her satisfy her biological urges. She didn't consider herself promiscuous. She didn't sleep with every man that wanted her. In fact she was very selective. She always had to be the one to initiate contact with the person she was interested in. She had to feel some kind of connection before that happened and yet she had never connected with anyone like Booth before.

He was attractive and when he wanted to be he was very charming. He was also someone who felt things deeply. He was impatient and snarky. Booth was also quickly becoming a friend and that was new too. Up until she had met him she had only had one friend and that was Angela. Now she had two friends. She had never had two friends at the same time in her adult life. Acquaintances yes, friends no.

"Well well, daydreaming?" Angela breezed into Brennan's office and smiled at the guilty look on Brennan's face. "It's okay to daydream Honey. We all do it. So who were you thinking about?"

Reluctantly, Brennan turned her gaze towards Angela. "Booth. He's not . . . he's different from most men I've had to deal with."

Angela grabbed the chair in front of Brennan's desk, moved it closer to the desk and sat down. "Now that is definitely someone I'd like to get to know better. He's so cute and so . . . so hot."

Used to her friend's declarations, Brennan wasn't sure if she should take her seriously. "Are you interested in Booth sexually?" Unaware of it, she held her breath waiting for the answer.

Not sure if Brennan was considering Booth as a possible sexual partner, Angela shrugged her shoulders. "Well who wouldn't be? He's a fine looking man and let's face it he's very charming when he wants to be." The artist noticed a strange look on her friend's face and she realized that she might be poaching in her friend's territory. "Of course, I'm dating John right now, so I'll just leave Booth for you."

"Me?" Brennan shook her head. "I'm Booth's partner. If I wish to continue to work with him we can't be involved sexually. It would break some rule at the FBI."

Angela waved her hand dismissively. "So who says you'd have to tell them? If he was my partner and I was interested in him sexually, I'd jump his bones as soon as possible as often as possible."

"I don't know what that means." Sometimes it was very irritating when people used phrases that didn't actually make sense. Who jumps over bones and why?

Used to Brennan's cluelessness, Angela smiled and crossed her legs. "I mean that I'd have sex with him if he offered. I wouldn't care about rules."

"Booth believes in rules." Brennan hadn't known Booth very long, but she already knew that he obeyed orders from his bosses and he followed the rules. "Booth is a soldier as well as a law enforcement officer and he obeys orders. If they say we can't be sexually active together then he won't consider it . . . Also, I'm not sure having sex with Booth would be a good idea."

Surprised, Angela shook her head. "For God's sake, why? He looks pretty athletic to me. I'm sure he could keep up."

Amused, Brennan laughed. "I've no doubt he would be very good in bed. That's not the point I'm trying to make . . . He feels things deeply. He's emotional. If we were to have a physical relationship he would want more of me than I'm willing to give or can give. I'm not brave like that."

Confused, Angela shook her head. "Now you're confusing me, Honey. Of course you're brave. You're probably the bravest person I know."

Slowly, Brennan shook her head. "No Angela. I mean that he would expect me to give a part of me to him if we were in a relationship and I can't do that. Everyone I know leaves me eventually and I won't set myself up to be hurt when Booth finally leaves me. You know about my parents, my brother. If your family thinks nothing of walking away from you then what hope is there that someone like Booth wouldn't leave me eventually? I'm not affectionate. I don't really believe in love and I certainly don't believe in marriage. Giving a piece of myself to someone, committing myself to someone only to have them leave me when they get tired of me . . . it isn't worth it. Not to me."

Sad that Brennan thought so little of herself, Angela sighed. "Honey, you are not unemotional. You just do a good job of keeping things bottled up inside. You feel things. I know you do. You feel things deeply. If you didn't then you wouldn't care that your parents abandoned you when you were fifteen. You wouldn't hate Russ so much for dumping you in Foster Care. You've just built a wall around your heart to protect yourself and you've deluded yourself into thinking that you don't feel things emotionally. Sweetie, you are a very compassionate person. You spend hours, days studying old bones trying to identify them so that they can be given back to their family. My God that is so compassionate that I just want to hug you when I think about it."

Brennan didn't really believe her friend. "It's my job, Angela. It's what I do for a living."

Annoyed, Angela shook her head, "No Honey. You do that job because you want to give victims a voice. You're so damn good at what you do because to be the best allows you to do your job well. You are a strong and caring woman."

"I'm not who you seem to think I am, Angela." Brennan thought her friend was mischaracterizing her. "You aren't listening. I cannot return love because I don't believe in love."

"You can keep saying that all you want, but I don't believe it." Angela had lost her patience. "You believe in love. You're just deluding yourself."

Brennan shook her head. "Love is just chemicals and hormones."

Angela threw her hands up in the air and stood up. "Fine have it your way. Just don't throw Booth away by mistake. You're assuming that he would eventually leave you if you two got together, but I think you're wrong. Just because your parents abandoned you doesn't mean Booth would. Don't throw out the baby with the bath water."

"I don't know what that means." Brennan was glad that her friend was done with the conversation. She was making her very uncomfortable.

"Yes you do." Angela was done for the day. She'd talk to her friend again. It was a slow process, but she knew that. "I have to go work on some new software I'm developing. We'll talk again."

oooooooooooooooooo

The next case was interesting and Brennan felt that she worked well with Booth. When he'd had to kill a man to keep him from setting off a bomb in a room full of diplomats, Brennan had comforted Booth the best way she could. She felt awkward and it made her sad that she didn't know how to help him through something that clearly upset him. She had reminded him that he had saved many people and it seemed to help him, but not as much as she wanted it to.

Their next case was about a boy found hanging in a tree. Booth had pressed her to call it a murder since his gut had somehow conveyed to him that the boy had not committed suicide. Leary of Booth's hunches, she had worked the case and in the end, her partner had been proved to be right. Brennan was sure that Booth picked up subtle clues that no one else saw and that he called it gut instinct. Brennan started to wonder just how smart her partner really was.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

While they were in Washington State investigating the death of a man who'd been eaten by a bear, Brennan started to wonder if it was possible to get around the no fraternization rule with Booth. He was probably the most interesting man she'd ever known and their friendship seemed to be getting stronger. She'd started to fantasize at night about him and she was curious. She was still leary about emotional attachments, but if she was careful not to become too attached to her partner, she thought a sexual relationship wasn't out of the question.

While Booth drove the rented SUV towards their destination, Brennan turned slightly to look at her partner. "Are you still dating Tessa?"

Surprised with the question, Booth nodded his head. "Yeah. It's going pretty well, I think. She's a lawyer and she's a damn good one."

Brennan nodded her head. If her partner was dating someone then she would not pursue him. If his relationship proved to be short term then perhaps she could do something to interest him in breaking the no fraternization rule afterward.

Curious, Booth glanced at Brennan and then back at the road. "So you seeing anyone?"

With a slight downturn of her lips, Brennan shook her head. "I haven't been with anyone sexually since I broke up with Peter."

Assuming she was upset with the breakup and she was letting her heart heal from her broken relationship, Booth nodded his head. "Yeah, I understand. It usually takes me a while to get back out there when someone dumps me."

Surprised that Booth phrased it like that, Brennan shook her head. "When someone dumps you?"

Embarrassed that he'd spoke the truth so plainly to Brennan, Booth tried to walk it back. "Um, well . . . or when I dump someone. You know someone always dumps someone." Worried that his partner might think he was defective because of the many times he'd been dumped by the fairer sex, Booth tried to fix what he'd said. "Someone always gets hurt. The key is to get back out there as soon as you can. It's not a good idea to dwell on bad relationships."

"Oh I'm not dwelling on my break up with Peter and he didn't dump me." Brennan turned to look at the view from the windshield. "I broke up with him. The truth is, I just haven't found anyone interesting enough to date yet."

Not sure why, Booth felt glad that she hadn't found anyone yet. His partner deserved someone a whole lot better than her last boyfriend. That freak didn't even know how to tie his own shoe laces. That was just too much for Booth. "Yeah, you'll find someone."

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Let me know what you think of my story.


	5. Chapter 5

(The Man in the Wall)

This is a reminder that this story is AU. I am taking a lot of liberties with this story.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan wasn't sure what had happened between Booth and his girlfriend Tessa and she didn't really care. He and Tessa were no longer dating and Brennan thought this might be a good time to see if he was interested in having a sexual relationship with her.

Dipping her spoon in the corn and crab soup, Brennan watched as Booth used his chopsticks to pick up some Mongolian Beef. "Are you still mourning over your separation with Tessa?"

"Mourning?" Booth paused his chopsticks before he placed the meat in his mouth. "I'm not mourning anything. We broke up and it was mutual. I'm fine."

His words said one thing and his testy tone said another. Brennan knew she was terrible with non-verbal communication and she didn't want to make a mistake. "You went on vacation and you said you might not come back."

Trying to be patient, Booth placed his food back on his plate. "It's just something people say, Bones. I'm not upset over Tessa. It's not like I haven't broke up with someone before." Booth sighed. "My personal relationships never last very long. I don't know why, they just don't. Can we talk about something else please?"

His comments about his relationships never lasting caused her to reconsider what she had been about to do. If Booth was incapable of sustaining a relationship for very long then perhaps it would be better if they remained friends. Her greatest fear was moving into a sexual relationship with him and then something happening to destroy it and their friendship. She liked her friendship with Booth and she didn't want to risk losing it. "Yes, of course. There is a fundraiser for the Jeffersonian next weekend. Would you like to attend it with me? You are the liaison between the FBI and the Jeffersonian and you should probably represent the FBI at the function. We are attempting to entice our wealthy patrons into investing in the Medico-Legal Lab. Dr. Hodgins would like a new Mass Spectrometer and a nitrogen generator."

Surprised that she was asking him, Booth smiled. "Sure, if you want me too. That is if you don't have a date."

"I'm not seeing anyone right now, Booth." Brennan spooned some of her soup in her mouth and chewed it methodically.

Pleased that his partner was still single, Booth used his chopsticks to pick up some of his meal. "Well alrighty then. It's a date."

Three words and Brennan almost lost her breath. _It's a date._ A little unnerved by her reaction, Brennan swallowed and turned her gaze upon her bowl. Not sure what she was feeling, she stared at her spoon sitting in the bowl and tried to understand why her heart was beating a little faster than normal. Confused, she stirred the cooling soup. "Um yes. I'm looking forward to it. It's formal, so you will need to wear at least a dark suit and tie."

"I got it Bones." Slightly annoyed with her assumption, Booth shook his head. "I know what to wear." Popping some of his food into his mouth, he chewed it slowly while staring at Brennan.

His stare a little disconcerting, Brennan placed her spoon down. "What?"

Booth swallowed his bite of food and smiled. "You seem to go to a lot of functions. You just went to one two weeks ago, you wore that black and beige lacy dress. It was real nice. You looked real nice."

"It's the season for functions." Brennan remembered his compliment about the dress and was pleased that he liked her choice of wardrobe. "In the fall and winter months some of us at the Jeffersonian have a few charity events and fund raisers that we are required to attend. The last event I attended was a charity event. Next week's is a fund raiser."

His food getting cold, Booth dug into it with his chopsticks and began to eat in earnest. Brennan mulled over his declaration about his going with her being a date. She didn't usually mull over anything, but she intended to be very careful with Booth. She had no intention of making a mistake and ruining their friendship. She was starting to cherish it as much as her friendship with Angela.

Brennan's odd looks at him when she thought he wasn't looking were making him a little nervous. He wasn't sure what was going on and he put it down to just his imagination. After all, they were friends and she might just be concerned about Tessa dumping his ass. _Not that I know why she dumped me of course. 'It's not you it's me.' What a load of bullshit._

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

The evening of the fund raiser came and Booth picked up Brennan at her apartment and drove her to the event. Her dress was a long ankle length dress. It had simple lines and emphasized her curves which Booth greatly appreciated. The blood red roses printed over the black material were placed like a trellis from her left ankle to her left breast. "Wow, Bones. Very nice."

Brennan was also impressed with Booth's black suit, gray shirt and gray tie. The suit emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist and she felt he was quite handsome. It actually worried her that some predatory female might try to snare him that night. He was single again and since he wasn't mourning his breakup with Tessa, he was available. Since she had no intention of dating Booth, she wasn't sure why she cared, but she did. She finally decided that she didn't want someone to make him sad again. She hated it when he was sad. "You look very nice too Booth."

Proud that he had such a beautiful woman on his arm when he entered the hall, Booth almost swaggered when heads turned to watch them enter the room. "Don't forget you promised to dance with me tonight."

"I didn't forget." Brennan was aware of the stares and knew that she and Booth were a striking couple. Not really happy with the females in the room ogling her date, Brennan looped her arm around his arm. "I do have to mingle with our benefactors and I will have to dance with a few of them, but once my obligations are met, I will be more than happy to dance with you."

Dr. Goodman spied Brennan and Booth entering the room and turned towards his wife. "Well this should be interesting."

Curious, Felicia Goodman turned to stare at the couple her husband was staring at. "What do you mean? Is something going on with Temperance that I don't know about?"

Daniel Goodman was a very good administrator and he kept his finger on the pulse of the Jeffersonian. "I'm not sure really. It's just that this is the first time Agent Booth has escorted Temperance to a function for the Jeffersonian. They claim they're just partners and nothing is going on between them, but God knows if that's true or not."

"Oh Temperance is very honest, Daniel." Felicia laughed. "You know she's a terrible liar."

Leary of his star scientist, Goodman shook his head very slowly. "But she has a very steep learning curve and her partner has been teaching her things."

"Things?" Felicia stared at Booth. "What kind of things?"

Determined to keep an eye on the couple during the night, Goodman turned to face his wife. "Colloquialisms, slang, cop speak, how to shoot a gun with greater accuracy . . . things like that."

"Well that seems harmless enough." Mrs. Goodman didn't see a problem at all. "You know they make a very attractive couple. Are you sure they aren't dating? Their lack of personal space seems to be telling me a different story."

Goodman shook his head. "They say they aren't." He glanced at Brennan while she broke away from Booth to talk to Steven Mars, a very rich man who was infatuated with Brennan. He also noticed that Booth walked over to the bar and ordered a drink. "Well since Temperance has a lot of admirers, if there is anything going on between them, I would say that Booth's patience will be tried tonight."

"Or hers will be." Felicia noticed a very pretty blond woman move over to where Booth was waiting for his drink and placed her hand on his arm. Felicia wasn't the only one to notice it either.

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A little cliff hanger. Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

Remember this story is AU.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Waiting at the bar for his glass of wine, Booth was surprised when he felt a hand on his arm. Assuming it was his partner, he turned with a big smile. "Want that dance now?"

The pretty woman standing next to him, smiled and flashed her perfect white teeth. "Why yes I would thank you."

A little disconcerted, Booth shook his head. "Um, sorry. I thought you were someone else."

Her lips now pouting, the lady continued to grip Booth's arm, using her fingers to knead it a little. "So that means you don't want to dance with me?"

Booth was used to women hitting on him, but he realized that he was a little put off with her massaging his arm. He didn't mind the attention of a beautiful woman, but he didn't like to be touched or manhandled by people he didn't know. Touching someone meant you trusted them and being touched was also a matter of trust. People had to earn his trust, even beautiful women.

Stepping back a little, Booth moved his arm so that the woman had to release it. "Sorry, I'm here with someone else."

Amused, the woman cocked her head to the side. "Well so am I, but Steven hates to dance and he doesn't mind if I dance with cute guys as long as I don't take them home with me."

The bartender handed Booth his glass of wine and smiled. "Here you go Sir."

Grateful for the distraction, Booth took the glass, sipped some of the chardonnay and decided that the woman hadn't meant any real harm. In fact, he thought maybe he'd over reacted. "Do you work at the Jeffersonian?"

"No. By the way my name is Marge Mars." Marge held out her hand for Booth to shake. "Yes, I know. It's a stupid name and I should have kept my maiden name when I got married."

Amused, Booth shook her hand. "My name is Seeley, so you can see I haven't got a lot to say about names.

Her laughter like silver bells, Marge shook her head. "Oh my, yes I can see that . . . My husband is here to meet Temperance Brennan the author and to contribute money to the Jeffersonian. He's a huge fan and Temperance can wrap him around her finger if she wants to." Seeing the concern flash across his face, she chuckled. "Oh don't worry. Steven is faithful to me. His infatuation is harmless. He's just a big fangirl when it comes to Temperance. Also, I'm pretty sure Temperance doesn't date married men. I've known her for about a year and I'm a pretty good judge of character."

Somehow relieved, Booth smiled. "Yeah, Bones has a lot of fans. We meet them when we work on cases."

Surprised, Marge placed her hand on Booth's arm once more, patted it and then removed it. "Oh, you must be the FBI agent that works with her. I saw an article in the paper about how you and she stopped a terrorist from blowing up a conference. Steven was thrilled about it. He hopes she writes a book based upon that case . . . you call her Bones and she lets you get away with it?"

Not really wanting to be reminded about the fact that he'd had to kill a man during that investigation, Booth nodded his head. "It's a nickname. She likes it . . . um, I know she's writing another book, but I have no idea what it's about. She keeps that a secret from me."

"Booth." Brennan had witnessed Marge Mars talking to Booth and the conversation seemed a little too intimate for her taste. The woman had touched her partner twice and like her, she knew that Booth didn't like strangers to touch him. Since he was still talking to her instead of walking away, she felt he might not be aware that Marge was a married woman. "I see you've met Marge Mars. I was just talking to her husband." Turning to face Marge, Brennan smiled. "Steven is talking to Ken Wadsworth."

Flustered, Marge placed her hands against her cheeks. "Oh no. That's not a good idea." Scurrying away, Marge searched the room to see if she could spot where her husband was.

Curious, Booth pointed at Marge with his glass of wine. "She seems upset."

Brennan laughed. "The last time Ken and Steven got together, Ken sold Steven a half interest in a silver mine in Nevada. It has yet to produce any silver. Steven told me about it."

"Bummer." Booth thought that was pretty funny. "So want to dance or are you still hobnobbing with the rich guys?"

Now that Marge was gone, Brennan felt a little more relaxed. "Yes, we can dance now. I have to mingle latter, but it can wait."

After setting his wine glass down, Booth grasped Brennan's hand and walked over to the dance floor. Once there, he pulled her into an easy embrace and started to slow dance with her. "This isn't too bad. I thought I'd be bored, but so far so good."

One hand in Booth's hand and the other on his shoulder, Brennan allowed Booth to set the pace of their dancing. "I've been to many of these. Some are boring, but I usually find someone interesting to talk to."

Daniel Goodman and Felicia had witnessed the entire scene between Booth and Marge and when Brennan had joined them. "Well, that was interesting." Felicia laughed and sipped her glass of Pinot Grigio.

Her husband shook his head. "That's not really how I would have categorized it."

Felicia lowered her glass. "Did you see the look on Temperance's face when she saw Marge stepping closer to Agent Booth and when she placed her hand on his arm? . . . well, she seemed very . . . um . . ."

"Tense." Daniel Goodman had been afraid for Marge when his anthropologist had approached her. After all, Brennan had once hit a judge in the nose and she'd shot someone the previous month during an investigation. "Yes, still everything worked out." As he watched the couple dance, he noticed that they were dancing closer than when they first began. "You know I'm supposed to be mingling with our guests not watching Temperance dance with her partner."

Felicia placed her glass down on a nearby table and shook her head. "No, first you're going to dance with me and then you may go beg for money for the Lab."

Amused, Goodman pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her. "Alright, but if Dr. Hodgins doesn't get his Mass Spectrometer I'll be the one that has to listen to his constant complaining not you."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The fund raiser over, Booth drove Brennan home. "That wasn't too bad at all . . . um, you're a good dancer, Bones. We should go out dancing sometime."

Surprised, Brennan turned to stare at her partner while he kept his eyes on the road ahead. "I think that would a good idea, Booth."

Not sure what he was doing and why, Booth nodded his head. "Great. Maybe next weekend. I know about this great little jazz club. Live band. Nice dance floor. We could have fun. It would be a great way to unwind from the week." Unable to stop himself, Booth realized that he might just be falling in love with his partner. _Oh God. This may be the worse idea ever, but . . . God I can't help it._

Not really sure if Booth was making himself available for a personal relationship with her, Brennan frowned, turned in her seat and watched the buildings as Booth drove past them. "Yes, I like to dance, but I don't really have a lot of opportunities to do so." _Am I making a mistake? Booth believes in love and I don't. This might not end well. What if he wants to have a sexual relationship with me? I don't want to become attached to him. I don't believe in love. He is a good friend though or at least he's trying to be and really he is very handsome and he is nice to me._ Confused about her feelings, Brennan knew she needed to talk to Angela. She needed someone to help her understand what was going on and why.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	7. Chapter 7

(A Man on Death Row)

This story is AU.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Before she got the chance to talk to Angela about Booth, they were all pulled into a situation that left everyone exhausted and disappointed.

A defense attorney by the name of Amy Morton managed to talk Booth into taking a final look at Howard Epps' case before he was executed. The man had been convicted of murder and Amy had made Booth doubt the case against the man. Worried that there was a remote possibility that an innocent man could die by the hands of the state, the Agent had talked Brennan and the rest of the Squints into helping him look into the situation.

While they spent the weekend tracking down evidence, Brennan found herself just a little annoyed with her partner. Amy was very attractive and a lawyer like Tessa. Deep down she wasn't so sure that Booth hadn't decided to help Epps because of his interest in Amy. She was pretty sure that if Epps' lawyer had been an older man, Booth would have sent the lawyer away.

Once they had found the bodies in the swamp they hadn't had a choice but to report it. Epps had his stay of execution, but not for the reason Amy had hoped for. It was apparent to all of them that not only was Epps a killer, he was a serial killer.

Booth was pretty certain that Amy's trust had been broken and she might be more wary in the future about getting involved in death penalty cases. He thought that was a shame since she was a fine lawyer and a fine human being. She did great work and Epps had used her like he had used everyone else.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Very tired, Brennan entered the Lab Monday afternoon determined to get something positive done before going back home. She was still disgusted that she had helped a murderer escape justice even if it was temporary. She didn't really blame Booth for it either. Her partner had allowed Amy Morton to make him doubt a case he'd been sure of and he was just as upset as everyone else that Epps had made a fool out of the justice system.

Removing her sunglasses, she moved towards her office and was surprised when she noticed Angela moving around in her office. Since she really wanted to talk to Angela about Booth, she decided to detour over to her friend's office. "Angela, I thought you were going to take the day off."

Feeling a little lethargic, Angela looked up from her PC. "I was, but I was just too restless. I slept for about five hours and decided to come in. I need something to take my mind off of that creep Epps. It just makes me so mad that he's used the system to get what he wanted."

Brennan sat down on Angela's couch and placed her bag on the coffee table. "He will still be executed, just not today."

Grimly, Angela nodded her head. "Well, that's what makes this whole mess more bearable . . . How are you doing? Did you get any sleep?"

"Yes, I slept for four hours. It's sufficient for now." Not sure if she was ready for a serious conversation with her friend, Brennan glanced at the empty hallway and sighed. "Booth isn't dating Tessa anymore."

Alert to Brennan's change in tone, Angela stood up and moved over the couch where she sat down next to her. "I knew that relationship wouldn't last. Tessa was too insecure."

Since Brennan didn't trust her own judgement when it came to personal motives, she accepted Angela's statement and moved on. "Booth told me that his personal relationships usually don't last very long."

Intrigued, Angela shifted on the couch so she could look straight at her friend. "Did he say why?"

Slowly, Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "He did mention he gets dumped a lot."

A little shocked, Angela stared in wonder at her friend. "I wonder why . . . maybe he's attracted to the wrong type. That can happen. You think someone is your type when they aren't at all. I've had that happen to me."

"I really don't know what you're talking about Angela." Brennan was getting frustrated with her friend. She needed clearer information. "What do you think Booth's type is?"

Angela knew Brennan was anxious and she wasn't really sure why, unless she was interested in Booth. Hmm. "Well, Honey, I don't really know. We've only seen Tessa, so we don't know if she is his type or if he was just dating her thinking that she was his type."

Thoroughly confused, Brennan decided that this was just too hard to deal with and stood up. "I need to go to work. I have things I need to take care of."

"Bren are you interested in dating Booth?" Angela stood up and placed her hand on her friend's arm.

Brennan stared at the hand instead of the face of her friend feeling it was safer that way. "If Booth and I date we can't work together, I told you that. The FBI would break up our partnership . . . We danced at last week's fund raiser. He is a very good dancer and he mentioned that we should go out dancing together. I don't know if he's asking me out or not. I don't know what any of this means. It's very confusing. Is he asking me to dance with him as a friend or is he interested in a sexual relationship with me? Does that mean he doesn't really value our partnership or he does? I just don't understand what's going on."

"Honey, I think you're putting too much pressure on yourself." Angela felt sorry for Brennan and she really hated Max and Christine Keenan for making Brennan distrust love and relationships so much. "Instead of talking to me, you need to talk to Booth. I can only guess what's going on and I could guess wrong. Ask him to explain what's going on."

Brennan nodded her head. "Yes, you're right. Speculation is useless. I need to talk to Booth." Another nod of her head and she grabbed her bag from the coffee table. "I'm going to talk to Booth as soon as possible."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

At five that evening, Brennan called Booth and asked him to meet her at the Royal Diner for dinner. Arriving at the diner, Brennan exited her car and stared at the light crowd in the restaurant. She was actually glad she had chosen the diner for a meeting place. It seemed like a neutral place and gave neither her nor Booth an advantage over the other. She'd occasionally been to the diner to get coffee or a salad to go, but this was the first time she was going to meet her partner here.

After she entered the diner, she grabbed a table at the back of the room near the picture window. It made her feel a little less hemmed in and she needed that if she was going to have a serious conversation with her partner. She ordered a glass of iced tea and waited for Booth to arrive.

Booth was hungry and he breezed into the diner shortly after Brennan sat down. Spying her at the back of the diner, he moved down the aisle and sat down across from her. "Hey, this was a good idea. I like the pie here. You need to try the apple pie. It's full of big pieces of fruit and the crust is so flaky."

A little nervous, Brennan nodded her head. "I don't eat pie, but their menu is excellent and contains many nutritional items."

"You don't eat pie? Really?" Booth was surprised at her declaration. He'd never met anyone that didn't like pie. "You should try it here. It's great."

Brennan shook her head. "I don't like cooked fruit." Picking up her menu, she scanned it quickly and made up her mind. "I think I will order the grilled chicken salad."

His stomach rumbling, Booth looked at the menu and found what he wanted. "This is a pretty good menu. I've only been in here for coffee and pie. Thanks for recommending it. I should have looked at the menu the couple of times I've been here."

After the waitress brought Brennan her iced tea and took their orders she left, leaving Brennan the opportunity to talk to Booth. "I wish to broach a serious subject with you . . . Have you started dating anyone in the last week?"

"No, I haven't had time to do anything but work lately." Booth moved back against his chair as the waitress returned with a milkshake. Once she left, he sipped some, staring at Brennan over the rim of the glass.

Slowly, Brennan breathed in and out, trying to relax. "While we were at the fundraiser you mentioned that we should go out dancing."

Booth lowered his glass and reached his hand across the table to place it over her hand. "I'm sorry, Bones. I know we were supposed to go out this weekend, but Amy talked me into looking into Epps' case and well . . ."

"No Booth, don't apologize." Brennan shook her head. "That is not what I wanted to talk about."

Curious, Booth nodded his head. "Okay, sorry. Go ahead. What do you want to talk about?"

Her gaze now upon Booth's hand covering her hand. Brennan spoke softly, barely loud enough for him to hear her. "Do you wish to go on dates with me as a friend or would you like to consider a sexual relationship with me? I know you said our partnership would be severed if we dated, so I'm confused. Do you wish to quit working with me or is this just part of being friends with you? . . . the dancing not having sex . . . I don't wish to misconstrue anything, but I am not sure what you expect from me and I need you to tell me."

Slowly moving his hand away from her, Booth stared at his partner and wondered what he should say.

Afraid to make a mistake, Booth glanced around the diner and thought the conversation Brennan wanted to have should be in a less public place. "Hey why don't we get our meals to go and go someplace quieter to talk?"

Quickly, Brennan shook her head. "No, I would rather remain here."

Surprised at her refusal, Booth leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Alright . . . I've already told you that if we date then we can't work together. I like working with you. You and the squints are great. You've been able to help me close cases that were tricky and I really want to keep working with you. This is why I got into the FBI. I want to make a difference. I want to get justice for people that don't have a voice. It's important to me to help where I can. To make evil people pay for what they've done."

"So you weren't asking me out on a date?" Brennan was disappointed. "You were merely being a friend when you asked me to go dancing with you."

Booth nodded his head. "I like you Bones. I've never met anyone like you. You're a genius and you're brave and you believe in helping to right wrongs. You're really great at what you do. You and me, we've got something special going on here. We're making a difference. We're helping to put away people that have done something horrible and they thought they were going to get away with it, but with your help they didn't. I never thought that I would get to do something like this and now that I am, I don't want to give that up. We're already breaking records for solve rates in this district."

Brennan nodded her head. "Yes, Dr. Goodman told me. He said the Director of the FBI is quite pleased with our progress."

Glad she understood, Booth smiled. "You and me, I think we're becoming really good friends and I really value that part of our partnership. I think it would be nice to hang out together like friends do, but if it will make you uncomfortable then you need to let me know. I would never do anything to make you uncomfortable or to hurt you. I just . . . well friends do things together for fun, but if you don't want to then that's fine. Really." Booth hoped that he'd made Brennan more comfortable. He had never meant to upset her when he had mentioned dancing to her.

"Thank you for explaining this to me, Booth." Brennan now felt she knew what the rules were with her friendship with Booth and she could handle that. Since he didn't appear to want a sexual relationship with her she wouldn't press him. She loved her friendship and she would do nothing to damage it. Since she didn't believe in love, this was probably the best outcome she could hope for. Why jeopardize her friendship unnecessarily? "I would like to hang out with you. It sounds like fun."

His smile bright, Booth leaned back against his chair. "That's great. We can go to hockey games and ball games and we could go dancing and watch movies together and things that you think is interesting and stuff like that."

"That sounds like fun." Brennan liked the idea of someone wanting her to be with them to do fun things. Angela tried to get her to go on double dates or out to bars to pick up guys, but Booth's idea of friendship and fun seemed to be more in tune with her ideals of friendship. "Thank you."

Booth smiled. "You don't have to thank me, Bones. This is what friends do. We're honest with each other, we back each other up. You can talk about anything with me. I'm here for you."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

A/N: Okay don't fuss at me. I have a plan.


	8. Chapter 8

(The Girl in the Fridge)

This is a reminder, this story is AU.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Sitting in his apartment later that evening, Booth stared at the ceiling as he laid on the couch. _I wish I had been more honest with Bones, but I couldn't. She wouldn't understand. How could I tell her that I think I'm falling in love with her, but I don't want to jeopardize our partnership? I still want to work with her. She's fantastic. She's so damn smart and she's so beautiful and I really really like her. Okay, I might even love her, but I'm not willing to break up our partnership. Not now. We're doing so well. I'm making a difference. We're making a difference._

 _Shit, why does life have to be so complicated?_

 _I want to help people that need it like Pops did for me. God if he hadn't saved me from that piece of shit sperm donor that thought he was my father, I'd be dead by now. I'd be bones in a grave. I need to make a difference. I need my life to count for something. I've taken so many lives because my government asked me to and now I get to give something back. I get to help solve serious crimes. I get to make assholes pay for the evil things they've done. I made a promise to myself that I'd make a difference and . . . God this is so unfair._

Booth stood up, stretched his back and then moved into the kitchen. After snagging a beer from the fridge, he walked back into the living room and plopped down on the couch.

 _She's probably the best thing that's ever happened to me besides the birth of my son. She likes me and we get along pretty well. Sure she drives me nuts sometimes, but Pops says I probably drive her nuts with my shit too . . . yeah. Look at what she's done for me. I quit gambling. All because I want to be a better man for her. Hell I didn't even really know her when I did that, but she's special. She's so damn special. She made me get my shit together. No one has ever made me want to be better than I am. She's magic and I don't know what I'm going to do if she ever gives up on me. Almost everyone in my life has._

Frustrated with his thoughts, Booth swallowed some of his beer. " _Okay, just don't go there. Your life if finally turning around, just don't invite trouble. She's my partner, she likes me and we're doing great stuff together. Don't see problems where they don't exist. If she gets tired of my shit and stops being my partner then I'll cross that path when I get to it. In the meantime, I can't screw this up. I can't tell her that I might love her. She doesn't believe in love or marriage, so it wouldn't do any good to tell her about my feelings anyway. Just let sleeping dogs lay. Just be her friend. Yeah . . . I can do that._

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Typing away on her laptop, Brennan stopped to read what she'd written and instantly became frustrated with herself. Her story had gone off on an unexpected tangent and it didn't follow her outline at all. Quickly deleting what she had just typed, she saved the file, closed the lid and sat staring at the window across from the table.

The night was cool and she had shut the window earlier because of it. _I'm glad Booth let me know what the rules for friendship are. His rules are different from Angela's rules, but I expected that. Angela and Booth are very different personalities and yet I think I can count on them to guide me through our friendship. I just wish I was better at social situations. I've never really cared before, but I think it's nice that I have two such great friends like Angela and Booth._

Brennan picked up her bottle of beer and sipped some of the cool liquid. _I would have liked to have had a physical relationship with Booth, but I can see he just wants to be friends and that's fine. I have other ways to help me sexually if and when I need it, so I don't need Booth for that. I've never had a boyfriend as an adult before and I think I like it._

 _Hm, is that the correct way to think of Booth? He's a man not a boy and really doesn't the word boyfriend connote a form of intimacy? We're friends, but perhaps he isn't my boyfriend. He's just a friend. Boyfriend is such a juvenile word and usually does imply a romantic relationship of some sort, so no . . . he isn't my boyfriend. I really haven't had a boyfriend since I was in college. Well, Michael wasn't really my boyfriend. He was my professor and my first lover and Peter was my lover too, but not really a boyfriend per se. Yes, social labels can be very awkward and confusing especially to me. They're just traps for the unwary._

Her bottle now empty, Brennan stood up and moved into the kitchen. After she threw the bottle in the recycling bin, she removed an apple from the counter and bit into it. _Booth is very attractive and it would probably be a pleasing experience to have sex with him. He's in excellent health and I know he works out. His stamina is quite good. I don't believe in love, but I do find myself wondering what it would be like to be emotionally attached to him. He can be quite sarcastic sometimes, but other times he is very considerate and he is kind to me most of the time. He isn't afraid of my intellect and that's rare enough as it is. He's quite unique and I find myself drawn to him. It can't be love since it doesn't really exist, but I do like him a lot and he likes me. He makes me feel like I'm connected to the world. He helps me and I like that. I like that very much._

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Brennan was familiar with the phrase 'speak of the devil and he'll appear', but it was quite a shock that she had just thought about Michael Stires the previous week and here he was back in her life again. Life sometimes consisted of strange coincidences. Booth had told her as a rule he didn't believe in coincidences especially during a murder investigation, but eerily enough they do happen.

Michael turned out to be a big disappointment and he had caused Brennan to also experience a milder form of disappointment with her partner.

"Bones, I want to apologize to you for telling the prosecutor about your childhood." The more Booth thought about it the more he realized that he shouldn't have done it. "I was trying to get the jury to see that you are a kind and caring woman not a cold Vulcan, but that was the prosecutor's job not mine. I'm sorry he embarrassed you in front of the jury. I promise I'll never do that again. What is between us stays between us, okay?"

She had been furious that Booth had told the prosecutor about the disappearance of her parents, but she knew why he did it and she forgave him. "I don't know what a Vulcan is, but I've already told you I understand Booth. You wanted to win the case. I get it. If I had been in your shoes I might have done the same thing. I don't know . . . I think what goes on between us should stay between us. This is about trust and it would help us if we treated confidences as something not to be repeated to others."

"Thanks Bones." Booth was glad his friendship hadn't been damaged with Brennan. "Hey, if you're up to it, let's go to the movies this weekend. You can pick the movie."

Brennan appreciated the effort her friend was making to get back into her good graces. "That sounds good, Booth. I'll go online and see what's playing."

Relieved that Brennan was now back in a good mood, Booth smiled. "Just no musicals. I hate those things."

Amused, Brennan nodded her head. "Yes I know. No musicals."

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	9. Chapter 9

(The Man in the Fallout Shelter)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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Oddly enough, the Christmas holiday had shown her that even though she counted Booth and Angela as friends they kept things from her. Angela had a famous father and Booth had a son.

Angela had told her more than once that friends didn't have secrets between them and yet there was Billy Gibbons standing behind glass doors talking to her friend. A famous rock musician for a father and no one knew it at the Lab. It seemed that friends did have secrets after all.

She had also been surprised to find out that Booth had a young son and that made her realize that she didn't know very much about Booth's private life either.

Uncertain why the secrets existed, she thought that they might reflect on her friendship with Angela and Booth. She thought friends knew everything about each other, but apparently not. Perhaps they didn't trust her with their secrets.

When she thought about it, she realized that Booth rarely volunteered any information about his past and she began to wonder why. Oddly, he knew more about her past and childhood than she knew about his. Was it a matter of trust? Did Booth really trust her or did she just misunderstand their relationship? Why did he expect her to talk about her childhood, but not be forthcoming about his own?

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They met for lunch at the Royal Diner the day after Christmas and Booth seemed to be in high spirits. As Brennan sat down at their table, he pushed a wrapped box towards her and grinned. "Merry Christmas Bones."

Wary, Brennan didn't move to pick up the box. "Why are you giving me a present? I don't celebrate Christmas. I don't believe in God."

Not to be deterred, Booth moved the box closer towards his partner. "Hey I get it. You don't celebrate Christmas and that's okay, but I do. I'm celebrating and that means you get a gift. I bought you a present and I don't expect anything in return. It's really all about the giving not the receiving." Booth nudged the present over further. "Besides I bought this two weeks ago . . . Come on. Make me happy and open it."

Feeling a little tense, Brennan picked up the box and stared at it. "It would have been better if you had just saved your money. I don't wish to disparage your . . . "

"Then don't." Booth refused to get mad at his friend. "Just open it. It's no big deal. It's just something I found in an antique store. I really didn't pay much for it, so don't worry about it. Just open it and let me know if you like it . . . please?"

Brennan didn't want to spoil his fun, so she unwrapped the paper, placed the box on the table and opened it. Surprised, she found a cast iron partial skeleton in the box. Puzzled, she took it out of the box and placed it on the table.

"It's not really an antique, but it was with a collection of mechanical banks." Eagerly, Booth unfolded a piece of paper in his hand and read what it contained. "This is a Bugged-Out Hungry Skeleton Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank. You put a coin on his hand and you push the lever behind his arm and his eyes bug out and his hand raises up and he eats the coin." He jammed the piece of paper in his jacket pocket and placed a quarter on the skeleton's hand. "Go ahead push the lever."

Booth's excitement contagious, Brennan pushed the lever down, watched the mouth on the skeleton open, the hand rose and the quarter popped into the mouth. Amused, she chuckled and shook her head. "This is a terrible rendition of a skeleton Booth."

Not sure if she hated his gift and was making fun of it, Booth lost his smile. "I thought you'd like it."

Though she had difficulty interpreting emotional responses in most people, she knew her partner well enough to realize that his feelings seemed to be hurt. "I do like it, Booth. I do. Thank you."

His smile back, Booth placed a dime on the toy's hand and moved the lever to watch the coin disappear. "I saw that in the store and I immediately thought of you and I bet myself that you didn't have anything like this and you should."

"I like it, Booth. Thank you." This was the first Christmas present she had received since she was fifteen years old and she suddenly felt a little overwhelmed. Her eyes on the bank, she struggled to control her emotions. The last thing she wanted to do was cry. It would be humiliating to cry over a toy.

Her face filled with sadness, Booth began to wonder if he'd done something wrong. "Bones if you really don't like it's okay to tell me. It's just a toy and really, I can take it back and maybe get you something better. I just . . . I just wanted to get you something fun. You deserve to have some fun."

Quickly dashing her finger under right eye, Brennan looked up at her partner and smiled. "No, of course not. I really do love it, Booth. I do. It's just . . . I haven't celebrated Christmas since I was fourteen years old and this is the first present I've received since then. Well, that's not entirely true. Russ found some presents that my parents bought before they disappeared, but I didn't open them."

A little shocked that no one had given her a present for the last fifteen years, Booth grimly shook his head. "Well that stops right now. I'm your partner and your friend and from now on you get presents every Christmas. It doesn't matter that you don't celebrate the holiday, so don't worry about buying me anything. I love to give presents, so it will make me very happy when I do."

A warm feeling spreading across her chest and face, Brennan realized that Booth was probably the best friend she'd ever had. "You don't have to do that Booth."

"I don't have to do anything, Bones." Booth placed his hand on her hand. "I want to do it. Hey we're friends and that's what friends do. We make each other happy."

Not sure if this was the right time to broach the subject, Brennan searched Booth's face and decided that she might as well ask while he was in a good mood. "Why don't you talk about your past with me, Booth? You rarely say anything about it. You know so much about me, but I don't really know anything about you."

His smile disappeared and in its place was a blank expression. "There really isn't anything interesting about my past, Bones. I was in the Army before I joined the FBI. You know I was a sniper and I guess I still am if the FBI needs me to be. I have a son, you met him. His mother and I lived together for a while, but she . . . I asked her to marry me when we found out she was expecting and she turned me down. She broke up with me right after that. I'm just an ordinary guy. Nothing exciting to tell, really."

"Did you have a happy childhood?" Brennan noticed that he hadn't mentioned his childhood and wondered why.

Sick with worry, Booth didn't want to divulge anything about his childhood. The last thing he wanted to do was let his partner know that he had been an abused child. It would be too embarrassing and too risky. "I had a normal childhood. It wasn't anything special."

The sudden change in his demeanor made Brennan realize that Booth didn't want to talk about his childhood with her. She didn't know why, but if it was that upsetting to him, she wouldn't push him. "Alright." Brennan picked up the present. "Thank you for the present. It's a wonderful gift."

Grateful that she hadn't pushed him, Booth gave her a sad smile. "Sure. I'm glad you like it."

"I do."

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Her coin bank now resting on her dresser in her bedroom, Brennan stared at it and thought about her partner _. Booth seemed to be upset when I asked him about his childhood. I wonder why? Maybe I misconstrued the situation. I'm not very good at reading emotional responses. Perhaps he wasn't trying to hide anything from me . . . I wish I was better at non-verbal communication. Booth says I stink at it and I really do. Still, he never talks about what it was like for him as a child. Perhaps he was poor. That shouldn't be embarrassing, but I don't know him very well and being born in a lower social strata may make him feel uncomfortable. Of course this is mere speculation on my part and I may not be hitting the nail on the flat part._

A few miles away from Brennan's apartment, Booth sat in his apartment staring at his Christmas tree. _Would it really be so bad if you she knew about my past? She didn't exactly have the best childhood either and if anyone would understand it would be Bones. I just hate the idea of her losing what respect she does have for me because of the abuse I went through. I don't want her to think that I'm a loser. I mean I know her childhood was bad, but it wasn't her fault. Her parents disappeared and her brother dumped her in Foster Care. It wasn't her fault at all. Yeah. Maybe I'll tell her someday, when we've known each other longer, when our friendship is stronger and . . . yeah, not now. I can't do it._

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	10. Chapter 10

(The Superhero in the Alley / The Woman in the Garden / The Man on the Fairway)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The next few cases were interesting and Brennan really enjoyed working on them with Booth. One of their cases had involved the murder of a young man, a boy really and Booth had been somber for days after they attended his funeral. Her partner always seemed to sink into a slight depression when they dealt with the murder of children, but thankfully he bounced back within a few days.

She wasn't happy when the victim was a child either, but she was good at compartmentalizing and that helped. She had learned long ago that life wasn't fair and children were not immune to the dangers of the world. As a child raised in Foster Care from age 15 she was familiar with just how uncaring people could be, how cruel some were when a helpless child was involved. When she had to deal with the deaths of children, she carefully stepped back and let her skills take over. Emotion could only cloud her judgement and she wanted to do her best to give a voice to the dead child.

It worried her sometimes that people perceived that she was cold and detached, but she was paid to do a job and she couldn't let that bother her. The victims needed her and she would not fail them.

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He'd never been so angry in his life. He and Brennan had been standing on the side of the road amidst a group of police officers interrogating a gang banger when shots were fired in a drive-by. His heart beating wildly, he and his partner had thrown themselves to the ground avoiding being hit by any bullets and then he'd ended up in a foot chase after their suspected murderer ran away. The man had got away and that was just angered him more.

Driving back to the Jeffersonian Booth had remained silent while he fumed over Brennan being put in danger. _When I get my hands of those mother fuckers they're going to wish they hadn't been born. She could have been killed for God's sake. Right there right then . . . killed. Damnit._

Brennan thought it was unusual that Booth wasn't talking, but she thought he was upset that their suspect had outraced him and got away. "He'll be caught Booth. This is just a temporary setback."

His reverie broken, Booth glanced at Brennan. "Uh, yeah sure."

Watching the side of the road at they drove by, Brennan shook her head. "It seems odd to be shot at, at a crime scene. Surrounded by police officers, a drive-by shooting is the last thing I would have expected."

"I'm sorry Bones." Booth was mortified that Brennan had been endangered at a secure crime scene. "That shouldn't have happened."

Brennan wasn't really concerned about it. She knew that police protection only went so far. They were human after all. Turning to face her partner, Brennan saw that his hands were gripping the steering wheel very tightly. "It's not the first time I've been threatened Booth. I've worked for governments that promised me that I would be safe while I identified victims of pogroms and whole sale slaughter on both sides of a war and that promise wasn't kept. I've been intimidated by rebels and government officials. I've been thrown in jail and threatened with rape or death. It's part of my job. What happened earlier is nothing new. When you make dangerous men angry they react. Whether or not they are part of the government or against the government, things like that drive-by shooting happen."

"Threatened with Rape?" Booth was outraged. "My God, Bones . . ."

"Booth its reality." Brennan had been afraid at the time, but unflinching during those incidents and she had come through them unscathed. "When you are doing something powerful people are afraid of, they try to stop you if they can. It's how the world works."

Disgusted and a little alarmed at Brennan's confession, Booth shook his head. "This is America and crime scenes should be safe. You can bet your ass they will be from now on, if I'm involved."

Amused, Brennan smiled and turned her head to watch the passing scenery. "Alright."

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He had thought he'd been angry when Brennan had been shot at, but he realized that he had been kidding himself. At that moment, he was so hot with anger he felt like the white hot end of a fireplace poker. Even now, after he'd threatened to blow the brains out of a gang leader he was still filled with rage.

The man had put out a hit on his partner and Booth had almost lost it. When he'd placed the gun in the man's mouth he'd almost pulled the trigger, but had kept enough control to stop himself and removed the gun. What scared the hell out of him was what he'd done afterward.

He'd ended the conversation and he knew Brennan was safe, but he was still so angry that he'd turned back, placed his pistol against the gang leader's head and he'd seriously considered pulling the trigger. He still didn't know why he'd let the man live. As a sniper for the Army he'd killed fifty men. Men who had deserved to die. _Ramon Ortez is an evil man and he should be dead for the things he's done. What's one more stain on my soul? If Ortez does anything to get my partner killed I'll take him somewhere and make his death a long slow trip to hell and I'll do it with a smile._

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The next case bothered Booth more than he wanted to think about. While they were investigating the deaths of Chinese nationals killed in a plane crash they also worked on an old murder after the squints had found bits of bones from a victim that hadn't been on the plane, but on the ground amidst the wreckage.

Booth had helped where he could, but he felt like his partnership was under attack when a man named Jesse Kane became involved in the investigation. Brennan had appeared to be interested in the man and that made Booth's hackles rise up. He didn't like the thought of Brennan being interested in any man. They were friends, but he had to be truthful with himself, the longer he knew her the more his feelings were being tested. She was his friend, but he loved her. _Yes, damn it I love her, but we're partners and we can't be together . . . fuck how did my life get so messed up._

Brennan indeed found Jesse an interesting person, but after he'd attacked his step mother, she realized that he wasn't her type. Angela was all about types and Brennan had decided to be honest with herself. She knew that she too had a type and Jesse Kane in no way represented what she considered to be an ideal male. Regretfully she distanced herself from the man.

After she had asked Booth to look into her parent's death she had reflected about what it was that she wanted and she found that she couldn't really hide the truth from herself. She knew who she wanted, but since she couldn't have him that created a dilemma for her. Was she ready to settle for less than her ideal? She didn't know and that worried her most of all.

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She knocked on Angela's apartment door and waited patiently.

Surprised to find Brennan in the hallway, Angela stepped back and allowed her friend to enter the living room. "Bren, what are you doing here?"

A little hesitant, Brennan entered the room, sat down on the couch and placed her purse on the floor. "You know I don't believe in love. It's all chemicals and hormones and it never lasts. It's not worth attaching yourself to someone when you know it won't last. It's ridiculous to give up one of the best friendships I've ever had just so I can have sex with him. I'm not being entirely rational, Angela. I need help understanding what's going on. Why do I want to risk my friendship, my very successful partnership pursing a relationship Booth? He doesn't want a relationship with me. I know he doesn't. I'm being irrational. He doesn't want me sexually and if I try to pursue it, it might cause him to break up our partnership, but if I don't do anything about it . . . if I don't do anything about it . . . why am I doing this to myself? I don't understand."

At first a little overwhelmed by Brennan's tirade, Angela soon realized what was going on and she wasn't sure how to help her friend. "Honey, you love Booth."

"No I don't." Brennan was quick to deny it. "I don't believe in love. I just told you that. You weren't listening."

"Honey I was listening." Angela sat down next to her friend and faced her. "You love Booth, but you don't think he loves you."

Calmer now that she had said what she had to say, Brennan nodded her head. "I know he doesn't. He told me that he loves working with me and that he loves our friendship. He doesn't want to risk our partnership because he loves his work, our work."

Frustrated, Angela gripped her hand around Brennan's hand. "He told you this recently?"

Brennan shook her head. "No, weeks ago."

"Talk to him, Honey." Angela knew that this situation was not going to go away. "Tell him how you feel about him. Maybe you two can figure out a way to keep your partnership and still become a couple."

Filled with sadness, Brennan sighed. "I can't. I've told you before he has a terrible track record when it comes to affairs. He told me he's been dumped and his relationships never last. I cannot risk losing my friendship with him. You and Booth are the only friends I've ever had that I can count on. You both accept me for who I am. I don't want to give up my friendship for a sexual relationship that probably won't last very long. It isn't worth it to me."

Exhaling deeply, Angela rubbed her forehead. "Bren . . . Honey, you're in love with the man. I think he loves you too. Take the risk. Please tell him."

Brennan stared at the woven basket sitting on the coffee table and finally shook her head. "No, I won't. This is just sexual frustration. I need to find a man that I can have a relationship with to take care of this problem."

"Booth . . . you need Booth." Angela wanted to shake her friend and make her listen, but she knew she couldn't do that. Brennan would not accept that kind of behavior from anyone. "Please Honey. . . "

"No." Brennan grabbed her purse and stood up. "I shouldn't have come here. I should have just handled it by myself. I'm sorry I bothered you."

Angela stood up and tried to place her arms around her friend, but Brennan stepped backwards to avoid it. "Honey, please talk to Booth."

Quickly, Brennan moved around the couch and over to the door. "No, it won't do any good. We're just friends. We're just partners." Opening the door, she paused in the doorway. "I'm fine Angela. I . . . I'm fine." After she closed the door, she rushed down the hallway and out into the Lobby. Once she was outside on the sidewalk, she moved slowly over to her car and thought about her plight. _I don't believe in love, but I wish I did. It would be nice if it really existed._

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	11. Chapter 11

(Two Bodies in the Lab)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Terrified that he was too late, Booth turned the corner and spied Jamie raising a pistol over the head of his partner. Certain Kenton meant to kill Brennan, Booth had no choice but to shoot the rogue agent. He shot him, but he did not go for the kill. Booth wasn't about to play judge and jury unless he had too.

With Kenton incapacitated, Booth shuffled into the room as fast as his damaged body would let him and helped his partner escape the hook her hands were tied to. Desperate to help her, Booth ignored the pain he was in. He could see she was terrified and she needed help. His help.

Never so grateful in her life to see anyone as much as she was to see Booth, Brennan held her arms around his shoulders until she realized that she was making him suffer. The broken pieces of his clavicle had to be grinding together from the weight of her arms on them, so she quickly moved her tied hands up and over his shoulders. Her hands now resting on her lap, she shook her head. "Booth we need to get you back to the hospital as quickly as possible."

Feeling nauseous from the pain, Booth agreed with her and slowly staggered to his feet. Hodgins who had been standing by while Booth had assured Brennan, pulled a pocket knife from his pants pocket and cut the rope that trapped Brennan's hands together. "Come on Dr. B you both need to go to the hospital. That cut on your head needs stitches for sure and Booth . . . well, Booth should never have left the hospital in the first place."

After she was on her feet, Brennan helped Hodgins walk her partner out of the building and into the SUV Kenton had driven to the abandoned building. Once Booth was partially lying down on the back seat, she jumped in the driver's side and drove away.

As the SUV disappeared from sight, Hodgins removed his phone from his jacket pocket and made a call. "Angela she's safe. Dr. B is on the way to the hospital with Booth."

 _Thank God. I'm on my way._

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She stood outside of Booth's hospital room and fought with her emotions. Brennan had come close to dying that day and she had been saved by Booth. With broken bones and in great pain he had been part of the search for her and she knew that he had risked further injury trying to rescue her. She had never met anyone like her partner and she found herself in a state of confusion.

 _I don't believe in love, but what he did . . . he risked his health to save me and that can't just be because he likes me. This is so confusing. I don't love him . . . I don't . . . I am under the influence of chemicals and endorphins. He saved my life and I'm reacting to that . . . It wouldn't matter if I did believe in love because he doesn't feel the same way about me and yet . . . and yet he risked permanently crippling himself to save me._

Her thoughts raging in circles, she finally shook her head. She'd gone home after having stitches sewn in for the tear on her forehead, changed her blood spackled clothes and she was back to see about her partner. She had scheduled a date with David earlier that day and she had every intention of going, but she had to check on Booth first. He had to come first. As she entered the room, she saw that he was watching television. Relieved that he was doing something so mundane, Brennan smiled and moved across the room to stand next to his bed.

"You know . . . I let you down, Bones." Booth was embarrassed and regretted that he'd endangered his friend. "I'm sorry."

Confused, Brennan shook her head and sat down on a nearby chair. "You saved my life."

"Yeah, but you know . . ." She didn't get it and she needed to. He should have known that Jaime was bad, but somehow he'd missed it."It shouldn't have gone down like that."

Before she could say anything further her phone rang. "Brennan." It was David checking to see if she was still meeting him at the restaurant. "I'm leaving now, David." Ending the call, Brennan decided she needed to explain the phone call to Booth. "We're finally having our dinner."

Disappointed that Brennan was actually going on a date with someone she'd met online, Booth sighed. "Yeah, I figured you didn't dress up for me."

She wasn't sure how to respond, so she chose to ignore what he'd said. "You sure you don't want anything?"

Booth picked up the TV remote and shook his head. "Nah, I'll be fine." Truthfully, he wanted to stop her from going on her date, but he didn't have the courage to try. He was afraid he might say too much and then where would he be?

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." Reluctantly she stood up and started towards the door. She wasn't sure why she was hesitating to go, but she was.

"Yeah, have a good night." Booth flipped the channel on the television and stopped when he found an old movie playing. Willing to escape into a movie for a while, Booth tried to concentrate on the actors and what they were saying. He didn't want to think about Brennan on a date with anyone but him.

His sad look, the image of Booth hurt and alone in his hospital room, made Brennan stop just outside the door and come back into the room. Resigned that she just didn't understand her feelings she decided to skip her date after all. She sat down next to the bed and stared at the TV hoping that Booth would just accept it and not try to analyze why she was doing it. "I've changed my mind. I have a headache. I think I'll stay here for a while. We can watch television together and then I'll just go home."

With a sense of relief that she was staying with him, Booth placed the remote down on his lap and let the characters in the movie speak for a while. Her presence a comfort to him, Booth thought about their relationship. When he had found her and he had seen Kent almost kill her, Booth had had an epiphany. _I love her damn it. I really do love her and I don't know what to do about it. She doesn't believe in love or romance or a lot of other things I believe in. We wouldn't make sense as a couple. Any relationship we had would be a disaster. She's a genius that believes in science all the way. Even if we could get past that stuff, she doesn't really know me and I don't know if she would like the real me if she did . . . damn what am I going to do? Should I do anything?_

Brennan leaned against the bed careful not to press against Booth's arm. She knew the only reason why he wasn't in pain at that second was because of the pain medicine he was taking. _I'm attracted to him, strongly attracted. It can't be love because that doesn't exist, but I want to be a part of his life. I want a physical relationship with him, but he doesn't want one with me. We're just friends. I wish I knew how to change that, but I don't know how. How do I tell him that I want more from him? If I did, would he accept me or push me away? I don't know what to do. I guess that means that I will do nothing. It's for the best I suppose._

Her silence was a welcome relief while Booth mulled over his dilemma. She had asked him about his childhood a few weeks ago and he'd been afraid to tell her. He hadn't wanted to lose her respect, but if they were ever to be more than they were at that moment, he knew he would have to tell her. She needed to know who and what he was. _Maybe I should tell her now. At least I can watch her while I'm telling her and if she decides I'm too much of a loser to be her friend then at least I'll know and I can try to move on . . . yeah right._

Slowly inhaling, Booth drew in a deep breath and tried to relax as he once more exhaled. "Okay um . . . Bones, you asked me about my childhood not too long ago and I . . . I lied to you and told you that I had a normal childhood . . . I want to talk to you about that if it's okay with you."

Surprised, Brennan shifted her chair until she was facing him. His tone of voice was somber and she was curious about what he was about to say. "Yes, of course, if you wish to tell me. You don't have to though."

"Yes, I do." Afraid he was about to lose someone he valued a lot, Booth swallowed and decided to get it over with. "I didn't bring it up because it was far from normal . . . well, what I assume is normal . . . I was raised by my grandfather. He rescued me and my brother Jared when we were little kids . . . I, uh . . ." He was struggling and he wasn't sure how much to tell her. "My father was an alcoholic. He drank a lot and when he did, he uh . . . he lost his temper and he'd beat my mother and me." Booth paused to see if Brennan was disgusted with his confession. Her face a blank mask, Booth plowed on. "It got so bad, he hurt my mother and they had to take her to the hospital and she never came back home . . . Oh, she didn't die. She just ran away. If she had come back my old man might have killed her someday. It was that bad."

It still hurt him to think about it. His mother whom he'd adored had left him and his little brother in the hands of a vicious monster. He still didn't know what to think about that. _She was right to leave, but why didn't she take them with her?_ "It got worse after that for me and I thought I was going to die, but my grandfather came over one day and caught my father beating me and he . . . Pops took Jared and me away from my father. I haven't seen my old man since . . . anyway, that's why I don't talk about my childhood. It's not good and most people don't want to know about shit like that."

Appalled that Booth's childhood was as bad if not worse than hers, Brennan leaned over and placed her hand on his sheet covered thigh. "I'm sorry, Booth. I'm sorry that you had to go through that." She had known of course or at least she knew that something bad had happened to him when he was young. Once she'd seen his x-rays and the remodeled bones she had felt sick. She had struggled with the proper response at the time. Uncertain about his reaction, she had not mentioned it, but now, maybe she could. "I saw the signs on your x-rays. You have a lot of remodeling on bones that were damaged at a very young age."

Surprised, Booth stared at her in wonder and realized that he should have known better. _Of course she knew. She is a bones genius._ "You didn't say anything." Booth was afraid of her answer, but he needed to know.

"You were upset when I mentioned the signs of torture on your feet." Brennan tried to be cautious with her answer. "I didn't want to assume anything and I know you are a person who values his privacy."

Still not sure what she thought of him now that she knew about the abuse, Booth sighed. "I was afraid you might think I was a loser."

Astonished, Brennan pressed her hand against his thigh. "Booth, why would I think that? What happened to you was not your fault. How could it be? I know what it is to be abused as a child, remember? I was treated horribly by my foster parents . . . I almost died. Your parents were terrible, but that doesn't reflect back upon you. Not in the least."

His throat tight with emotion, Booth swallowed and then cleared his throat. "I wanted to be honest with you. I wanted you to know something about me even if it's pretty bad. That abuse I went through . . . it's part of who I am. Friends should be able to talk to each other about the crap in their life and I . . . You mean the world to me Bones. I . . . I like you a lot and I . . . I'm glad I found you in time. I would've hated to lose you from my life. I . . . you're probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. You've made me want to be a better man since the day we met. I was a gambler and because of you, I started going to meetings. I wanted to be more than I was because of you. Do you understand? You've helped me more than you can know."

She wasn't sure she did understand. Was he telling her that he really liked her or was he trying to tell her there was a possibility that there might be more between them in the future? She was confused and she was afraid she was misinterpreting what he was saying. "I really like you too, Booth. You accept me for who I am. You aren't afraid of my intelligence or my successes."

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "You're a genius. I love that. I do. Why would I be afraid of that? It's who you are. Look um . . ." He was afraid to tell her that he loved her. He wasn't sure how she would react. She mistrusted love and it all went back to her parents abandoning her. "Bones, I want to tell you something, but I don't want to upset you. I don't want you to . . . aw hell, Bones I love you."

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So what do you think of my story so far?

A/N: I told you I had a plan.


	12. Chapter 12

(Two Bodies in the Lab)

Thank you for reviewing my story. Remember this story is AU.

I don't own Bones.

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"You love me?" Brennan was stunned. Was Booth saying what she thought she meant? "As a friend? You love me as a friend?"

Afraid he was scaring her, Booth knew he had to be careful, but he really needed to be honest with her too. "No more than a friend. I've been in love with you for a while or at least I think I have. I was just too afraid to say anything. I know you don't believe in love and you think . . ."

"I have to go. I have a headache." Brennan felt like she was bordering on a state of panic and she couldn't stay. Standing up, she retrieved her purse from the floor next the chair she had been sitting in. "I have to leave."

She left so abruptly, Booth knew he had frightened his partner very badly. Afraid he would never see her again, he turned off the television and closed his eyes. His hand found the down button for the bed and he lowered the bed so that he was lying at a less steep incline. Gamely, he tried to accept that he'd made a mistake and the consequences. He knew about her personal history, he knew that she didn't believe in love or God or monogamy, but he had almost lost her that day and the thought of losing her without saying how he felt about her seemed to be so wrong. She needed to know that someone loved her and that someone was him. Now she did.

Certain that the fallout was going to be bad, he clinched his jaw and fought to keep from becoming too emotional over what had just happened. After all, this was just more of the same. Besides his Pops and his son, no one loved him and he guessed they never would. He was a gambling addict and he had a quick temper. _How bad is it when your own parents hate you?_

He knew he wasn't someone that most people would consider a good man. He'd learned that lesson a long time ago. No one really cared if he lived or died. That's what it meant to be Seeley Joseph Booth.

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She didn't go far. Once the elevator deposited her on the ground floor of the hospital, Brennan moved across the Lobby and stopped near a group of unoccupied chairs. Torn between leaving and staying, she compromised and sat down on one of the chairs.

 _He loves me? Love isn't real. Love is just chemicals and they can fade very quickly. He says he loves me, but what does that mean? Is he willing to jeopardize our partnership? Does he want an intimate relationship with me? Has he changed his mind about having sex with me? If so, why risk our partnership our friendship over something that would probably be fleeting? I don't understand._

She was afraid and she knew it. Besides her parents, no one had ever professed to her that they loved her. Since she knew that love wasn't real and that it was mere chemicals controlling the person experiencing it how could she trust it to last? Her parents had loved her and they disappeared when she was fifteen and her brother . . . well what can you say when someone who is supposed to love you just gives you to the state of Ohio because they don't want you anymore? If her family could stop loving her then how could she trust Booth not to lose his feelings of love for her? How could she trust anyone with her emotional wellbeing?

 _Yes, I want an intimate relationship with Booth because I'm attracted to him and he's my friend, but what if it all goes wrong? We don't have a lot of things in common and therefore it is likely that a personal relationship would shatter sooner or later. I know that. Booth has admitted that he's been in a lot of failed relationships. Look at what happened between myself and Peter._

Confused about her feelings and afraid to make a decision, Brennan sat in the Lobby of the hospital and debated her next move. Booth was alone in his room. He had professed that he loved her and she had run from him. She always ran when someone tried to get too close to her. She knew that. The thought of her happiness being contingent upon someone elses happiness made her wary of most relationships. Peter had been an experiment and that hadn't turned out well at all. Yes he hadn't professed that he loved her, but they had had a lot in common and they should have been compatible. In the end, Peter had tried to control her and she couldn't allow that. She had not been willing to allow Peter to control her destiny or her happiness.

 _Booth is my friend. Besides Angela, I've never had a friend like him. He isn't afraid of my intellect. He actually admires it. He's a great friend. I've never known anyone like him. We are accomplishing a lot as partners and we are both highly respected in our fields._

She thought of their rocky start and she knew they were both temperamental. They were careful in their partnership not to push each other too much. They both remembered the slap that had kept them apart for almost a year and they knew there was a line they couldn't cross when they bickered. They argued and bickered a lot because they both were opinionated, but they were careful not to say or do anything that would destroy their friendship. They liked each other too much to let that happen.

Since she had become Booth's partner, she had learned that she could trust him. When she was confused about something, she knew she could ask him about it. Between Booth and Angela she had learned a lot about friendship and how to handle certain social situations. Her partner could be impatient with her, but in the end he always helped her and she appreciated it. She also had a tendency to be impatient with Booth when it came to certain things and yet he never seemed to let it consume him like it did others she'd dealt with in the past.

 _He's kind to me most of the time and he's willing to listen to me. He likes me the way I am. He's told me this in the past and I believe him. Unlike Peter or Michael, he doesn't try to force me to do anything I don't want to do. Booth is honest with me and I value that trait the most. I trust him._

 _I do trust him. I have never trusted anyone like I trust Booth. Can I trust him now? Can I trust myself?_

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She stood in the doorway and stared at her friend. He appeared to be sleeping and she knew that he needed the rest. It was all part of the healing process. Torn between entering the room and leaving that decision was taken out of her hand.

"Are you going to stand there or come in?" Booth had known she was there when he caught a whiff of her perfume in the air. He loved that particular perfume and appreciated it when she wore it. When she didn't say anything, Booth opened his eyes to make sure if she was still there. "It's okay, Bones. Come in. I think we need to talk."

Determined not to allow her fears to control her, Brennan silently entered the room and moved over to the vacant chair near his bed. After she placed her purse on the floor she sat down. "I apologize for leaving earlier. I should have stayed."

Her tone of voice worried Booth. She was using her 'lost' voice and that wasn't good. When she was unsure and afraid she had a tone of voice that Booth thought of as her 'lost' voice. She was strong and brave, but there were times that situations confused her and made her uneasy. She wasn't confident when it came to most social situations and Booth knew that. It was one of the reasons that he was willing to forgive her when she said hurtful things to him. He knew she was blunt and honest to a fault. This caused misunderstandings with some people she dealt with and in the end some of those situations caused her emotional pain. He knew a lot of people considered her to be cold, but he knew better.

Much to his embarrassment, he'd caused her emotional distress and he wasn't sure how to fix it. He hoped she would forgive him. "I didn't meant to upset you, Bones." Cautiously, Booth tried to apologize without making the situation worse. "I shouldn't have upset you like that. I'm sorry. I know you don't believe in love and I shouldn't have told you how I feel. I don't want you to think I'm trying to force you to do anything. This is my problem not yours. I'm still your friend and I don't expect anything else from you. I hope we're still partners and friends." He quit talking and hoped she wasn't there to tell him they were no longer partners.

Not really sure what she should say, Brennan remained silent for a few minutes while she decided how to respond. The sad look on Booth's face told her that she was probably taking too long and he was worried. "I shouldn't have left earlier. I should have stayed and talked to you. I'm sorry I did that . . . I came back so we can talk."

"Thank you." Booth was grateful that she had come back. He was still worried that she might want to severe their partnership. "I know you're science all the way and you don't believe that love exists, but I do believe in love and I wanted to be honest and tell you how I feel . . . Look, just because I love you doesn't mean I expect you to love me back. I know you don't love me and that's fine. It's more than fine. So don't worry about it. I don't want it to ruin our friendship . . . please?" He had said that last word so softly she had almost missed it.

"Please Booth, stop apologizing for how you feel." It made her sad that she had made him so apologetic especially when he was just being honest. Wasn't that something she valued about him? His honesty? "Yes, I don't believe in love, but I do recognize the influence of chemicals and hormones on the human body that make you believe that you're in love . . . I feel those chemical reactions too."

Brennan looked away from Booth, nervously cleared her throat and returned her gaze upon his battered face. "I value our friendship and our partnership, Booth. I have never trusted anyone like I trust you. You are honest and brave. You're loyal to those you consider friends and family. You're determined to help the weak and to get them justice when they need it. You're a kind and good man and I am actually honored to be your friend . . . I . . . I would like to have an intimate relationship with you Booth. I don't believe in love, but I do believe in trust and I don't think I trust anyone as much as I trust you. If you are willing to jeopardize our partnership so that we can become a monogamous couple then I am willing to do the same."

Stunned, Booth stared in wonder at Brennan. "You think I'm a good man? . . . You want to . . . you want to be in a relationship with me?"

Slowly, Brennan nodded her head. "Yes."

Reaching out his hand, Booth grabbed her hand and held it tightly. "God Bones. You've really surprised me here. I thought you came back to tell me we weren't partners anymore and instead you've made me the happiest man there is." He pulled on her hand forcing her to stand. Once she was closer, Booth kissed the back of her hand. "I do love you Bones. I don't expect you to love me, but I want you to know I love you."

"I know Booth." Brennan leaned forward and kissed him. "I just hope we're making the right decision. I value our friendship immensely."

"I do too Bones. We'll make this work." Booth returned her kiss and was so happy he felt no pain.

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Please let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	13. Chapter 13

(Two Bodies in the Lab)

Thank for reviewing my story. I really appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The hospital had rules about visitors and soon Brennan had to leave. Reluctantly she stood up and smiled at her friend and partner. "I'll be back tomorrow to see you."

He was tired and could barely keep his eyes open. The last dose of pain medicine had made him drowsy and he'd been fighting to stay awake for the last twenty minutes. "Sure, Bones. I'll see you tomorrow. I'd like to talk to you about some things we need to talk about."

Brennan nodded her head and smiled. "Yes, of course." She walked out the hospital room and began to wonder what she was doing. _Is this a good idea? I would like to have a relationship with him, but what if the FBI wants to destroy our partnership? We do have a lot to talk about it would seem._

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Instead of going to work the next morning, Brennan called Dr. Goodman and told him she was suffering from a headache. He was sympathetic and told her to stay home as long as necessary. She really didn't like to lie, but she needed to check on Booth and they needed to talk about the future. Their future.

She wasn't sure if she should bring him anything, but she knew Booth and his cravings for sugary food products. On the way to the hospital she stopped off at a local bakery and bought 3 donuts, 3 crullers, 3 apple fritters and 3 sausage kolaches. She also bought some milk and a bottle of water.

Once she was in his hospital room, she shyly offered the bag of pastries to Booth.

"Oh thanks, Bones." Booth opened the bag and reached in for an apple fritter. "God thank you. They gave me a bowl of oatmeal and some juice, but that was two hours ago. It wasn't enough to stick to my ribs." He bit into the fritter and moaned. "This is so good." He noticed her lick her bottom lip and felt guilty for eating in front of her. "Here, have one. You'll love it."

Brennan took a fritter from the bag and sat down with her bottle of milk. "Thank you. I haven't eaten breakfast yet." After she bit into the pastry, her eyes widened. "These are good. I've never been to this bakery before, but I see I'll have to go back occasionally."

After the apple fritter was gone, Booth ate a kolache. "I'm going to have to go to this place myself. These are great."

Her fritter now gone, Brennan drank her milk and once that was gone, she threw the bottle in the trash and opened her bottle of water. "Are you feeling better this morning?"

Swallowing his bite, Booth smiled. "Yeah. Of course the pain medicine helps and so do these kolaches. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Brennan brushed some crumbs from her pants leg and stared at her partner. "Have you thought of the ramifications to our careers if we move into a personal relationship? The FBI has rules and they may try to enforce them."

Booth nodded his head, closed the bag and left it lay on his lap. "Yeah and I have a plan." Booth opened his hand and reached it out towards Brennan.

His invitation plain, Brennan stood up and placed her hand in his hand. "Booth, I'm willing to have our partnership severed to have a relationship with you, but I would like to work with you if possible."

"I do to." Booth stared at their clasped hands. "What if we have a relationship, but we don't tell anyone? We just live our private lives the way we want to and just be quiet about it? We can keep working together . . . I think if we can do that for a few months and we can prove that we're capable of working professionally and not let our personal lives interfere . . . well, they'd see it would be a mistake to separate us . . . What do you think?"

Brennan thought about it and the consequences if they were caught. "I don't see a negative side to your plan Booth. Right now, I feel they will sever our partnership if we tell them. If we say nothing and we can continue to work together until we tell them about our relationship or they find out then we will have gained some time together professionally. I think that would be an acceptable risk."

Relieved, Booth brought up her hand and kissed the back of it. "Great. Now I just have to get well and get out of here."

His broken clavicle a concern, Brennan carefully leaned over and kissed him. "Yes, the sooner the better."

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"You know Bones, when I say you can't tell anyone that means Angela too." Booth was worried that Angela might find a way to get Brennan to confess about their relationship change. "You'd have to keep us a secret no matter how much she badgers you."

Aware that Angela could be relentless, Brennan nodded her head. "Yes, she can be very forceful when she wants some information, but we have too much to lose for me to break our silence on the subject. I won't tell her."

Booth nodded his head. "I should tell Pops, but I won't, at least not for now."

"Pops is your grandfather." Brennan knew that he had no contact with his parents.

He knew that they needed to talk about things and Pops was one of those things. "I told you that he raised me after he took me from my father . . . He and Nana loved me and I've always thought of them more like my parents than my real parents . . . Nana died when I was young, but I remember how great she was. Anyway, Pops is my grandfather, but he's really my Dad. My brother Jared is in the Navy. We don't really talk much. He doesn't really like me all that much, but that's okay . . . um, I had an aunt on mother's side but she died of cancer a few years ago. She was the best . . . I don't have any other family really. It's just Pops, Jared and my son Parker."

Brennan cleared her throat. "You know I have a brother. I haven't talked to Russ since I was 15 years old. He's the only family I have. Since the FBI never found out what happened to my parents I have to assume they're dead."

Booth felt sad for both of them. He'd always envied people with large families, but his life was what it was. "Well, we'll have each other so we're family from now on. You and me, we're family."

She liked the sound of that. "That sounds . . . comforting." Brennan shifted on her chair and smiled. "If you would like to tell your grandfather I assume it would be okay since he had no connection with the Jeffersonian or the FBI."

Relieved that he wouldn't have to lie to his grandfather, Booth nodded his head. "Okay. He can keep secrets so don't worry." Booth's smile faded. "Maybe I should tell you about my past. You don't really know me as well as you think you do and maybe you should know. I may not . . . I may not be someone you want to be in a relationship with . . . I've done things . . ."

She heard the sadness and the worry in his voice and she was curious about what he was going to tell her. "I know you, Booth. I think I am a good judge of character."

"Yeah." Booth thought about it and nervously cleared his throat. "I was a sniper in the Army . . ."

"Booth . . . the things you did were done because you were ordered to do them, weren't they?" Brennan didn't want Booth to explain his past if it made him uncomfortable.

"Well, yeah." Booth stared at Brennan. "I wasn't just a sniper. Sometimes I went on missions with the CIA and we uh . . . had to do things to save people."

Brennan help up her hand. "You were following orders, so I don't think it's necessary to go into detail about it. I accept that your past has been filled with violence. So has mine. I've identified hundreds of victims of war crimes and pogroms. The world is a violent place. We do what we can to help where we can. You've stopped people from killing and I've identified the murdered. We don't need to talk about it unless you wish to."

Filled with relief, Booth nodded his head. Feeling a little awkward, he opened the bag on his lap and stared at the contents. "I guess I should save these for later." He closed the bag and closed his eyes for a moment. "I hope you don't regret having a relationship with me. I'll try to be the guy you need me to be. That I can promise."

She knew he was making a pledge to her and she appreciated it more than he would know. She was afraid that she would never be the person he needed and that worried her. She wasn't confident she had enough heart to love him like he deserved, but she would try.

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The next day, the hospital released Booth and Brennan was there to take him home. "I told Dr. Goodman I was going to take the day off to help you get home and settled. He sends you good wishes that you get well soon. Of course wishes are useless, but he means well."

Booth chuckled and grabbed her hand as the nurse rolled him down the hallway in a wheelchair towards the main entrance. "Hey, thanks for helping me get home. Maybe we can stop by McDonalds and we can pick up some Angus burgers and some chocolate chip cookies."

Her nose wrinkling, Brennan decided that she would try to use her influence to change his diet once they were firmly in a relationship. "You eat too much meat and sugar Booth."

Used to her complaining about his diet, Booth didn't let her statement bother him. "I work out. If you don't want to stop by McDonalds you can stop by Burger King and let me buy a couple of Whoppers."

"Yes, that would be an improvement." Brennan rolled her eyes and knew that her plan was going to be an uphill battle.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	14. Chapter 14

(Two Bodies in the Lab)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

She'd been in his apartment exactly once before and that had been to let Booth know the identity of a bombing victim who was also a suspect at the time. She'd stood in the doorway then, but this time she would be able to see more of his place. Brennan was fascinated because she felt that a person's home usually reflected the person living there and she was very curious about her partner.

The short hallway led into a living room filled with old, but comfortable looking furniture. There were some antiques and though the furniture was old fashioned they looked comfortable. The room was cluttered, but surprisingly neat for a bachelor's apartment. As Booth slowly walked over to the couch, Brennan looked around and noticed the doorway leading into the kitchen. On the opposite living room wall she noticed a doorway leading into what looked like his bedroom. "May I look around?"

Settled on the couch, Booth smiled. "Of course. Since you're my girlfriend I expect you to hang around here at least some of the time . . . oh, since your apartment is kind of messed up from the bomb, where are you staying right now?"

Brennan walked into the kitchen and found it filled with the usual appliances, more antiques and odd things like large cards printed with the number 2 and 6 on the wall along with antique signs and thermometers. "I'm staying in a hotel. The kitchen is heavily damaged and my apartment has a malodorous scent of smoke. I plan to find a new apartment soon, perhaps one with security since the one I was staying in failed to protect you or me."

"Why don't you stay here while you look for a new place?" Booth stared at the back of Brennan's head and saw her freeze. "You don't have to, it was just a suggestion. I have a guest bedroom my son uses when he stays with me. Rebecca . . . that's his mother . . . she lets him stay with me about 4 days during the month. The bed is a full size bed and the closet has a lot of room in it for your stuff. You can stay there. I mean I'm all banged up and we're still getting to know each other and . . ." He stopped talking, afraid he'd said too much already.

Not sure how to react, Brennan stood staring at the stove, trying to think about the situation. She knew that they were supposed to be in a monogamous relationship, of course she did, but she didn't want to move in with Booth. "We're supposed to be showing the world that we're just partners and not in a relationship, Booth. Staying here would destroy our subterfuge about being just friends."

"You're right." Booth hurried to agree with her. He knew he probably had pushed her too fast and he needed to be careful. Brennan was a very independent person and she valued her freedom, he knew that. "I wasn't thinking. Must be the pain killers. They make me goofy."

Relieved, Brennan turned and smiled. "Yes, of course . . . I do plan to keep some of my clothes here and I expect you to keep some of yours at my place. I just think we need to be careful and not let anyone question the nature of our relationship."

Suddenly a little cold, Booth pulled an afghan from the back of the couch, moved his legs up so he was lying in the couch and covered himself. "Yeah, I understand. Like I said, pain medicine makes me dopey."

Brennan moved out of the kitchen and walked across the living room to the bedroom. It was neat and filled with dark solid furniture. It was a sensible, masculine room and she liked it. She spied the bathroom through an open door and moved over to peer in to that room. She was surprised to see an iron claw foot bathtub. The white tile floor was clean and neat and the room was filled with a sink, a toilet and three cabinets. One of the cabinets had a record player on top of it. It amused her to think that Booth listened to records while he bathed.

There was a sliding door on the other side of the bathroom and that led to very short hall. Across from the bathroom was another bedroom and the hall led back into the living room. It was an odd layout, but it was an old building.

Her explorations complete, Brennan moved back into the living room and over to the gold colored recliner. She placed her purse down on the coffee table along with Booth's bag of food from McDonalds and smiled. "You have a lot of interesting things."

Booth smiled. "Yeah, I like old stuff. It reminds me of Pop's house. It's friendly stuff and that stuff is built to last. Not like that flimsy crap they try to sell you now a days."

"I like old things too." Brennan glanced around the room once more. "I like your apartment Booth."

Pleased with the compliment, Booth grinned. "I go to garage sales and flea markets and sometimes to antique stores. I've found some really cool stuff that way."

Brennan nodded her head. "How are you feeling? Would you like a drink of water or juice? You have your food if you're hungry."

Since she was offering, Booth nodded, sat up and leaned his back on the armrest of the couch. "Well, I could use a bottle of water if you're okay getting me one. I have some in the fridge. Thanks . . . help yourself to anything you want in the kitchen . . . When I'm up to it, I need to go shopping since I need to get some food that you like."

As she moved towards the kitchen, Brennan paused. "Nonsense, Booth. I'll go to the store and buy a few things and bring it here. I don't expect you to pay for my food or personal items."

"You're a guest when you're here." Booth frowned. "I want you to be comfortable when you're with me. You just have to tell me what you like and I'll buy it."

Aware that Booth was prideful, Brennan smiled. "Of course, but right now you are not really capable of shopping and I am. I will go shopping in a little while and buy what you need and what I would also like and bring it back here. You may shop when you are well."

She entered the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water. While she was at it, she took stock of what was and wasn't in the fridge and then quickly opened and closed cabinet doors to see what food supplies he had. She made a mental note of the things she thought he needed and went back into the living room. After she handed him the water she gave him the bag from McDonalds. "While you eat, I will go to the store. I should be back in about an hour."

After he twisted the cap off of the bottle, he winced from the pain radiating down his arm. He realized that even opening a bottle of water was going to be painful for a while. "Okay . . . since you're going to the store can you bring me back some ice cream . . . chocolate?"

"Of course." Brennan added that to her mental list, picked up her purse and moved towards the front door. "I'll be back Booth."

Once she was gone, Booth stared at the bag of food and sighed. _She was so nervous_. _I hope she doesn't change her mind about us._

Oooooooooooooooooooo

After she came back, Brennan found Booth sitting up on the couch watching television. She smiled at him as she passed him on the way to the kitchen. "Let me put these things up and I'll join you."

While Brennan put away the groceries she'd bought, Booth flipped the television channels until he found a documentary on prairie dogs. He knew she didn't own a television and he wanted to show her that there were other things on television besides cartoons and sports.

Finished, Brennan entered the living room and sat down next to her boyfriend. "Are you in pain?"

"Nah, I'm fine." Booth moved his hand and captured her hand in his. "This is the first time we've really been alone since we've decided to be a couple . . . I'm glad you're here, sitting next to me . . . you want to make out?"

Brennan laughed. "Booth, you have a broken clavicle, cracked ribs, burns and bruises over most of your chest, arms and legs and you're on pain medication. I hardly think it would be wise to make out at this time."

He sighed and squeezed his hand. "Yeah, I guess . . . want to make out anyway?"

Moving so that she closer to him, Brennan smiled. "How about we hold hands for a while? I would hate to hurt you and I would if we make out."

He knew he was being ridiculous, but he wasn't in pain. Thank God for pain medicine. "Well, just so you know, I'm game if you want to. I'm not in any pain right now."

Her eyes sparkling with merriment, Brennan leaned over and carefully kissed him. "It would be better if we don't do anything physical that will aggravate your injuries. If we do, it could prolong your recovery and also prolong the time when we can consummate our relationship."

"Consummate . . . uh, yeah." Booth knew she was blunt, but he hadn't expected that. "When I get better we're going to make love, Bones. You and me are going to become one with the universe."

"And apparently defy physics while we're at it." Brennan shook her head.

Booth shrugged his shoulders and realized that was a mistake. Gasping, he turned pale. Concerned for him, Brennan squeezed his hand. "You mustn't move your arms and shoulders like that Booth. You'll exacerbate your injury . . . you see, making out is out of the question."

His shoulder buzzing with pain, Booth nodded his head. "Yeah, okay. I'm sorry I can't be the boyfriend you need right now."

"Nonsense, Booth." Brennan moved so she was now on the other end of the couch. "You were caught in an explosion that could have easily killed you. You will recover, but it takes time. We have plenty time to have sex. Now lay down and watch television."

He did what she asked. "Are you going to stay with me tonight? You can sleep with me. My bed is pretty big and really comfortable . . . I don't expect us to have sex or anything, but it would be nice to wake up tomorrow next to you."

His hopeful look made her relent. "Alright, but I will have to go back to my hotel room and get a change of clothes early in the morning before I go to the Lab. I've already missed two days of work as it is."

Booth smiled. "Great." It was a start and he knew that's all they needed. She needed to be comfortable with him and he wanted to help her as much as possible.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	15. Chapter 15

(The Woman in the Tunnel)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Booth was back at work, but he was still uncomfortable. His shoulder still hurt if he raised his arms higher than his chest, but it wasn't anything that he couldn't bear. At least his clavicle was healing and his bruises were a greenish purple instead of the reddish purple they had been. The last four weeks had been spent quietly at home. His days had been filled with TV and books, but his evenings had been spent with his girlfriend. He still couldn't get over Brennan being his girlfriend. Surprisingly, she had spent most of the nights at his apartment sleeping in his bed.

They had both been comfortable with the arrangement and they enjoyed the closeness. They hadn't consummated their relationship until the previous evening and Booth was still euphoric about it. Now he was struggling to keep their relationship a secret, but since he didn't have a choice he was going to do his damndest to keep it professional between them when they were working together.

Brennan had found a new apartment and had all of her things packed up by a moving company and moved to her new place. She had spent a few hours each day after work unpacking her things, but afterward she had made her way to Booth's apartment where she slept with him. She had thought their arrangement would seem awkward in the beginning, but listening to his quiet breathing during the night had given her a sense of comfort. Something she hadn't really felt since before her parents had abandoned her.

The night before, Booth had assured her that he was well enough to move their relationship forward and they had finally made love. Brennan had found it satisfying and she knew once he was completely healed they would be able to have a more active sexual relationship. She was in no hurry. Booth needed to get completely well and she was willing to wait.

"Sweetie, I haven't really seen a lot of you lately." Angela stood in the doorway and smiled at her friend. "I thought we might go out to a club tonight. You've been working too hard here and at your new place." She walked into the room and sat down on the chair in front of Brennan's desk. "You really should have let me come over and help you unpack."

Her expression schooled, Brennan shook her head. "I have a system and there really isn't any rush unpacking. My bedroom and kitchen are set up the way I wish. The other rooms will be set up as I find the time."

"Was it odd being back at work with Booth?" Angela thought about how Booth had rescued Brennan from Agent Kenton and it made her upset thinking just how close Brennan had come to dying. "Is he okay? I know he aggravated his injuries when he rescued you. Poor Booth."

"He's fine." Brennan knew she had to be careful about how she talked to Angela about Booth. "He was able to repel down the tunnel this morning to get to the crime scene. He said his shoulder was hurting a little, but most of the trip down and up and been done by hoists. Most of his bruises appear to be gone. At least the ones you can see on his face. I wouldn't know about the ones under his clothes."

Glad to hear that Booth was better, Angela leaned forward. "So you didn't say if you wanted to go with me to the club. Do you?"

"Angela, I don't feel like going to a club." Brennan leaned on her desk. "The last time I went to a club with you, I ended up in a fight with some of the patrons. I'm certain that wasn't supposed to happen."

Not to be put off, Angela laughed. "Yeah, but you got to work on your first modern mummy. Wasn't it worth it?"

Brennan opened and closed her mouth. Not sure what she should do, she finally decided that she would accept. "Alright. I'll go."

Excited, Angela stood up. "Good, this is good. I'll grab you at around six and we can go to your place and get you changed into something sexy and then we'll be go eat out and then off to the club. You'll love it Sweetie. Maybe this time you'll find a sexy stud and not some dried up murder victim."

Certain she wouldn't like it, Brennan sighed. "Alright." After her friend left the room she made a phone call to her boyfriend.

 _Booth._

"Angela wishes me to go with her on a girl's night out to a club." Brennan waited for a response and was met with silence. "Since we are supposed to be hiding our relationship, I felt it would be better if I said yes. I don't wish Angela to see that our relationship has changed in anyway."

 _Alright. That's probably the smart thing to do. She's like a dog with a bone if she thinks you're up to something. I'll see you tomorrow. We still have to do that interview with Phil Garfield, the victim's boyfriend in the morning._

Brennan thought Booth sounded reserved, but it was hard to judge that over the phone. "Alright."

 _Okay . . . I'll miss not seeing you tonight, Bones, but I hope you have fun. You deserve to have fun._

"Thank you." Brennan noticed Zach approaching her office, waving at her. "Zach needs me. I'll talk to you later."

The call ended, Booth placed his phone on top of his desk and placed his head on his hands. _Bones dancing with some guy, some strange guy I don't know anything about. Fuck! Thanks Angela. Thanks a lot._ His shoulder twinging, he was reminded once more that his shoulder was still healing and that was one more thing to be angry about.

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In a terrible mood, Booth left the Hoover and drove home, stopping by Mama's first to pick up some soup for dinner. Once he was home, he decided he wasn't hungry, placed the soup and bread sticks in the fridge, took a long soak in the tub and went to bed. Once he was settled, he stared at the ceiling and fumed at Angela's interference. _I know she's Bones' friend, but she's screwing around with me when she does this shit. Going to clubs, pushing handsome guys onto Bones . . . Shit!_

Furious, Booth rolled out of bed and walked out into the living room where he poured himself a glass of Scotch and drank it down. As he moved to refill his glass, he spotted Brennan's book on his book shelf, placed the glass down and retrieved the book. His temper suddenly calmer, he carried the book to bed, slid on to the mattress, pushed his pillow against the headboard so he was comfortable and opened the book. He'd read it before, but since Brennan wasn't there, he thought immersing himself in her Bones world would help his mood. It wasn't her fault he didn't want her dancing with other guys. It was his idea to hide their relationship and he'd have to man up about the situation. _It's not like she's going to have sex with them._

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She really did have a terrible time. She had danced with three men that she didn't know and found them to be vapid at best. Once she felt her social obligations had been met with her friend, Brennan had told Angela she was tired and had left the club. Taking a cab, she went back to her apartment with the intention of retiring for the night. Once she had bathed and was in bed, she tossed and turned for ten minutes and realized that she wasn't going to stay.

Moving off of her bed, she changed into jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed her overnight bag and filled it with a few outfits for work and left her apartment. When she arrived at Booth's apartment, it was after midnight and she assumed her boyfriend was probably asleep. As quietly as possible, she crept into his apartment, down the hallway and dropped her bag on the couch. After she removed her shoes, she moved stealthily into the bedroom, removed her shirt and pants and slid onto the bed, pulling the blanket over her.

To her surprise, Booth rolled over and placed his arms around her. "I wasn't expecting you tonight."

Pleased he was awake, Brennan smiled in the dark. "I danced some obligatory dances with some males that were clearly beta at best, told Angela I was tired and went to my apartment. I was in bed when I realized that I hadn't said good night to you and since that has become our custom, I came over here to do so. You were asleep, so there was nothing I could do but lay down and wait for you to awake. Now that you have, I will say it now, good night."

Amused, Booth smiled and kissed her. "Good night, Bones."

As she returned his kiss, Brennan knew she was where she really wanted to be. "Go to sleep, Booth. We have to be up in six hours."

"I'm glad you came back." Booth settled down on his side, his arm draped across her chest, just below her breasts. "I was tempted to go find you and show you my alpha male tendencies."

Intrigued, Brennan opened her eyes. "That would have been unwise, Booth. Interesting, but unwise. Angela would have suspected your actions had more meaning than mere friendship."

"Fuck Angela." Booth pulled his arm tighter against her stomach and growled. "You are my girlfriend and I don't want you dancing with any guys but me."

"You're jealous?" Brennan felt her heart racing. She had never had any male in her life admit that he was jealous of something she was doing. It was so primal and yet she loved it, though she would never admit it.

"Damn right." Booth sighed. "You're beautiful, Bones. Guys hit on you all the time. It's all I can do not to rearrange their faces. I know you hate my alpha male crap, but that's the way it is."

Brennan rolled onto her side facing Booth and kissed him. "It's something I've grown used to since we've become partners." She kissed him once more. "I need to remind you that I can take care of myself."

"I know." Booth returned her kiss. "And I'm the way I am."

Finished talking, Brennan kissed him and struggled to remove his shirt. Momentarily forgetting that his clavicle was still healing, she heard him gasp when he tried to help remove the shirt. "Booth, I'm sorry."

Panting in pain, Booth move his arms down, pulling the hem of shirt back down with it. "Forget the shirt Bones. Just forget the shirt." With that he kissed her once more and they didn't worry about his shirt for the rest of the night.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	16. Chapter 16

(The Skull in the Desert)

Remember, this story is AU. I am not really retelling the show. I am using the episodes as a vehicle for my story.

I don't own Bones.

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Her friend was in trouble and Brennan had to help her. Quickly packing an overnight bag, Brennan looked around her bedroom and spied the picture she had of Booth and Parker on the nightstand. _I hope he will understand, but even if he doesn't I have to go._ Removing her phone from her jacket pocket, Brennan called her boyfriend and partner.

 _Booth._

"It's me." Brennan picked up her bag and carried it into the living room. "Angela needs me. I've booked a flight to Santa Fe, New Mexico."

 _What's going on? Is she hurt?_

"No, she's not hurt as far as I know." Brennan sat down and made a note for her cleaning service. She needed them to clean the carpets better than they had been doing. "Her boyfriend, Kirk Persinger is missing along with his guide. It's been several days and there is a possibility he's dead. Someone delivered a skull to the Sheriff's department and Angela is afraid that the skull belongs to Kirk. I need to check on it and make sure."

 _Wow. Look, Bones, let me go with you. Maybe I can put some FBI muscle into this thing._

After propping the note against the centerpiece on the table, so the cleaning crew would see it, Brennan stood up. "I don't want to inconvenience you, Booth. I'll just fly out there, look at the skull and if it is Kirk's then at least the Sheriff's office will know what they are dealing with."

 _Look, I'm going to call Cullen and tell him that you're needed in New Mexico. Where you go, I go. We're partners. Swing by my place. I'm on the way over there now. I'll pack a bag and we can go to the airport together from there . . . Oh, call whatever airline you're using and book me a flight too._

"Booth, this isn't necessary." Brennan didn't think she'd need her boyfriend's help and she didn't want him to make an unnecessary trip to New Mexico. "I'll only be gone long enough to verify if the skull belongs to Kirk."

 _If it is Kirk's skull, you'll need to determine if he was murdered. If it is a murder and you want to investigate then I need to be there. This isn't a waste of my time. It's what we do. Besides, I'll miss you. You don't want me to be lonely do you?_

A smile creeping on her face, Brennan felt wanted and loved. He really was so kind to her. "No, I wouldn't want that to happen. I'll call the airline and I'll meet you at your apartment."

 _Fine. See you there . . . I love you._

"I know." Brennan ended the call. She felt bad that she didn't repeat his words, but she was uncomfortable saying it and that worried her. She had yet to say to Booth that she loved him and he didn't seem to mind, but that didn't ease her qualms.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Once they were in New Mexico at Kirk's place, Booth let Brennan enter the house first while he carried their bags. Angela was in the living room and was shocked to see both Brennan and Booth enter the house. "I am so sorry. I didn't expect you both to drop what you were doing and come out here. I'm just so worried and I thought Bren could look at the skull at the Sheriff's office and then leave. I . . . I don't think its Kirk's skull. I just . . ."

"Angela, of course we had to come." Booth wanted to ease her mind. Standing next to the couch, he dropped their bags and placed his sunglasses in his shirt pocket. "Hey, if there's a murder then Bones and I can help the Sheriff handle it. If it isn't a murder, well at least we got a little mini vacation out of this."

Brennan walked across the room and hugged Angela. "We're here to help, Angela."

Appreciative, Angela returned Brennan's hug and began to cry. "Thank you. Both of you. Thank you. I don't think its Kirk's skull. It can't be."

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It had been a long day and both Booth and Brennan were tired. The skull had been identified as Kirk's and using some information about a coyote with a wonky jaw that Hodgins and Dr. Goodman had come up with, they both planned to join Sheriff Dawes along with Angela and a search party the next day. They now had a rough idea where Kirk's body might be and they were going to search the area after day break in hopes that they might find his body and hopefully his guide, Dhani alive and well.

Angela had retired to Kirk's bedroom and the couple were sitting on the couch staring at each other. "So this lets out into a bed." Booth sighed. "You take the bed and I'll sleep on the floor. Some blankets and a pillow and it should be okay."

"No Booth, you can sleep with me." Brennan hated the idea of Booth sleeping on the floor.

Booth took her hand and squeezed it. "We can't sleep together, Bones. Angela is in the next room . . . Come on, I've slept in worse conditions, believe me . . ."

"I'll sleep on the floor and you sleep on the bed." Brennan knew that Booth's bones were in poor shape and sleeping on a hard wood floor would not be a good idea. "Your back shouldn't be abused like that, Booth. If you were to sleep on the floor you may not be able to function tomorrow."

Irritated, Booth released her hand and stood up. "I'm not crippled, Bones. One or two nights on a floor will not kill me."

Raising her voice, Brennan stood up and glared at Booth. "You are being stubborn. Sleep on the bed and I'll sleep on the floor."

"Ahem." Angela stood in the bedroom doorway and shook her head. "Booth, you can sleep in here and I'll sleep with Brennan. If I was thinking right, I'd have offered sooner. I'm sorry."

Interrupted, the couple turned to stare at their friend. Brennan moved over to the couch and grabbed her overnight bag. "Thank you, Angela."

"Yeah, thanks." Booth was embarrassed and he wasn't happy with his girlfriend at the moment. On the other hand, now he wouldn't have to sleep on the floor. After he grabbed his bag, he entered Kirk's bedroom and closed the door behind him.

"Honey, you and Booth are just tired." Angela moved over to the couch, pulled the bed out, retrieved two blankets and pillows from a closet and placed them on the bed while Brennan changed her clothes to a t-shirt and shorts. "Thank you for coming, Bren. You and Booth have really helped me. I hate to see you two argue."

Brennan walked over to the bathroom and paused in the doorway. "Oh we weren't arguing. We were just bickering. Booth says its natural since we are both pig-headed. That means we are stubborn. He doesn't really mean we have heads like pigs. It's just a colloquialism."

"Got it Sweetie." Angela laid down, plumped her pillow and exhaled. "Um, I knew it was Kirk. I just hoped it wasn't. I wanted you to come here and prove it wasn't him."

"I'm sorry, Angela for your loss." Brennan stared at her friend. "We will find out who killed him and we will find Dhani."

Angela closed her eyes and tried to relax. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Before entering the bathroom, Brennan turned to stare at the door leading into the bedroom Booth was now in. This was going to be the first night she wasn't going to be sleeping with her boyfriend since they'd become a couple and she realized that she missed him. _Don't be silly. He's in that room, resting. You need to do the same._

Meanwhile, Booth laid on the bed, stared at the ceiling and grimly realized that he was going to have a terrible night. _We should have rented a couple of hotel rooms, damn it. Oh well. It's just for a day or two . . . Fuck!_

Oooooooooooooooooo

The sun was barely up, when Booth exited the bedroom and walked over to the kitchen. Checking the fridge and the pantry, he quickly put together some pancake mix and heated up a skillet on the stove.

Noise from the kitchen woke Brennan up. Sitting up, she glanced at a still sleeping Angela and moved as quietly as she could off of the bed. Hurrying into the kitchen, she quickly moved over to where Booth was standing and after making sure they were alone, kissed him.

Booth returned the kiss and moved to face the stove again. "Missed you."

"I missed you too." Brennan opened the fridge and pulled a bottle of water from one of the shelves. After she cracked the cap off, she drank most of the water and replaced the cap on the bottle. "Do you need my help?"

Booth flipped a pancake on to a plate and replied. "Nah, get dressed and wake up Angela. Once we eat we have to go meet the Sheriff. We don't want to miss going out with the search party."

Stepping back into the living room, Brennan spotted Angela sitting up in bed and stretching. "Booth is making pancakes."

Wearily, Angela nodded her head and moved off of the bed. "Alright. Is there any coffee?"

Booth over heard her from the kitchen and called out. "I'm making it now."

With a sad smile, Angela sighed. "Kirk made me breakfast and coffee every morning . . . He was sweet like that."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The case finally solved and Dhani Webber rescued, Booth offered to drive Angela to the airport. "You want to come back with us?"

Sitting next to Brennan on the couch, Angela looked over at the agent and shook her head. "No, I need to contact Kirk's brother and let him know what happened. I need to find out what he wants to do about a funeral and this house. I'll probably be back next week."

Brennan hugged her friend. "I'm sorry this happened, Angela." Releasing her friend, she stood up and walked over to the door where Booth was waiting with their bags. "If you need me, call me Angela. I won't mind."

Angela nodded her head. "Thank you. I will . . . Thank you for helping find Dhani. If it hadn't been for you and Booth, she'd be dead now. I . . . thank you."

"We're friends, Angela." Booth shifted the straps of the bags in his hands. "You need us, call us." Since Angela remained silent, Booth turned and left the house, Brennan following behind him.

Once they were in the car, Booth turned on the A/C and sighed. Placing his sunglasses on, Booth started his truck and paused before placing the truck in drive. "Bones, I have an idea . . . it's a good idea too."

Curious, Brennan shifted on her seat and looked at her boyfriend. "What is it?"

"Well," Booth licked his lips before he continued. "How about you and me rent a hotel room and spend the day in bed? We can go back to D.C. tonight."

A gleam in her eyes, Brennan smiled. "That is an excellent idea, Booth. The bed I slept in for the last few days was quite uncomfortable. I could use some rest on a good mattress."

"Bones." Booth couldn't believe what she had just said. "Are you kidding me? We haven't slept together for three days . . . three days."

Amused, Brennan laughed. "Gotcha Booth. I have no intention in sleeping. I wish to make love to you."

His teeth flashing a wide grin. Booth leaned over and kissed her quickly on the cheek. "Very funny, Bones. Very funny."

"I thought so." Brennan leaned back against her seat and smiled. "I can be quite amusing."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thanks.


	17. Chapter 17

(The Graft in the Girl / The Soldier on the Grave)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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The next few cases were fascinating, but in two of the cases, Brennan was forced to witness the pain and suffering of people that she respected and admired and in Booth's case, loved. She still wasn't sure that love really existed, but since she was now in a relationship with Booth she felt that she could call it love at least to herself.

The first case involved Deputy Director Cullen's daughter who had been the victim of an unethical couple of people who had sold diseased body parts to unsuspecting hospitals. Because of a snowboarding accident Amy had broken her leg the previous year and that had required a bone graft. That graft had been taken from the body of a man who had died from mesothelioma. That graft in turn gave Amy Cullen the same disease.

Booth and Brennan had worked the evidence to find out who had been responsible for the sale of the diseased body parts and they had been successful, but they could do nothing to save Amy. Her disease had progressed too far and no treatment was going to save her.

She sat in her office and stared at the top of her desk with unseeing eyes. She felt bad for the Deputy Director and for his daughter and Brennan was having a hard time accepting the fact that she had been unable to save the child's life. Amy was going to die and no one could stop it.

Booth entered his partner's office and noticed the sad look on her face. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was within sight, he moved over to the desk and placed his hand on her upper arm. "Bones . . . Bones are you alright?"

Her dark thoughts shattered, Brennan looked up and gave her boyfriend a wan smile. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking about Amy. For all of our accomplishments, what we did doesn't really matter in the end. Yes we saved some of the lives of the people who had diseased grafts, but we were unable to save Amy. She is going to die."

Aware that he was in an office with glass walls, Booth bit back his frustration with the situation and patted her arm when what he really wanted to do was to hold her in his arms. "What we did does matter in the end. We stopped those people from killing any more people. We've prevented them from ruining other lives and that is big in my book." Booth walked around to the front of the desk and sat down on the chair located there.

He paused and finally shook his head. "I know you're upset because of Amy, but we were never going to be able to save her life no matter what we did. Alexandra Combs and Nick Martin are going to be tried for murder because of the deaths they've already caused. They're going to pay for what they've done."

Brennan found it interesting that she was the one who was emotional about Amy and not Booth. Normally he was the one that seemed to feel the pain of the victim. "I feel sad that Cullen and his wife have to watch their daughter die knowing that there is nothing that can be done."

"I've known Amy longer than you have and that kid does deserve a longer life, Bones." Booth had been fighting with his emotions ever since he'd found out about Amy, but he had seen friends and comrades die before and he knew that the only way to get through it was to accept it and be there for Cullen when he needed it. "She's a real fighter and she's fought a good fight. Her mother and father are there with her and she's not alone. That's the important part. Amy is not alone."

Brennan heard the catch in Booth's voice and she realized that she had misjudged her boyfriend's emotional reaction about what was going on. _He's in pain and I couldn't tell. How can I help him when he needs it, when I can't tell he needs help?_ "Yes, she's not alone Booth. She does have family that loves her. That is more than we had when we were children." She wasn't sure why she had said that, but she had and thought it might be a good thing. "We do have each other now though."

His smile was sad, but it was a smile. "Yeah, we do." He wanted to kiss her, but not at the Lab. He couldn't take the risk. "Angela told me she's working on something to show Amy, she said she's going to show her the Louvre. She said it was your idea. You're amazing, Bones. Amy is too sick to ever travel again, but because of you and Angela, Amy just may get to see the greatest art museum in the world. You make me so proud. It's a sweet thing to do and well, like I said I am so proud of you for thinking of it."

The blush on her cheeks caused her porcelain skin to appear rosy and she felt warm. "Angela is doing all of the work, Booth. I merely made a suggestion." She didn't want to take away from what Angela hoped to accomplish.

"Bones, you and Angela are going to give Amy a precious gift." He knew she didn't think she had really done anything significant, but Booth knew differently. "If no one else says it then I will. Thank you."

Their day had been long and Brennan was ready to go home. After closing a file on her PC, she logged off and stood up. "I'd like to go home now. Is your day done or do you need to go back to the Hoover?"

Booth stood up and walked over to the doorway. "I'm ready to go home. I'd come over here to see if you wanted to go out to dinner, but I think I'd just like to go home. Maybe we could have some grilled cheese sandwiches and some tomato soup."

She knew that was his comfort meal and she was willing to forgo eating out for him. "I think that would be a wonderful idea, Booth. Perhaps later we can watch a movie together."

While she passed in front of him, Booth reached out and placed his hand on her lower back. As they walked slowly towards the entrance, Booth made small talk. Once they arrived at his SUV, Booth slid in the driver's seat while Brennan sat down beside him on the passenger's side. There were cameras in the parking garage, but not where he was parked, so he leaned over and kissed her. "I love you, Bones."

Brennan returned his kiss and smiled. "I know."

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Their case involving a soldier who was murdered and his body left at Arlington National Cemetery left Booth an emotional mess. He had been so angry during most of the case for various reasons and that worried Brennan. At first he had thought that someone had committed suicide while sitting on the grave of a war hero. After the body had been examined and it was proved that Devon Marshall had been murdered that just seemed to make Booth angrier and that worried Brennan even more.

Brennan thought Booth's ties to the military was the problem and she was determined to investigate the crime as dispassionately as possible. She didn't want Booth's military background to affect the investigation in any way, so she made sure she was with him as much as possible when interviews were done.

Booth knew he had to investigate the crime as he would any other, but he couldn't separate his history from the present. It also didn't help that those he was working with had an opinion about the war in Iraq and most of it seemed to be one sided and ill informed. This added to his frustration and his quick temper. He also knew that Brennan was leery of his involvement in the case. Booth was sure that she thought he was prejudiced and maybe he was, but he knew he had a job to do and he was going to do it to the best of his ability.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

While they were investigating the case, Booth found himself alone for the next two nights. Brennan was putting in some late hours at the Lab and she was staying at her apartment when she went home. He knew he was in a foul mood because of the case and agreed that it would be better for both of them if he slept alone. Neither of them liked the arrangement, but they were both being careful and they didn't want to do anything to destroy their relationship. If that meant that they would sleep apart for a few days then that was what they would do.

Sitting in his living room, drinking a Scotch, Booth heard his phone ring. Grabbing it from the coffee table, he accepted the call. "Booth."

 _It's late, so I wasn't sure if you were asleep or not. Are you alright?_

"Yeah, I'm okay." Booth placed his glass down on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch. "Look Bones, I'm sorry that I've been a pain in the ass with this case. It's just that . . . it's hit a little too close to home."

 _I know this case has been hard for you, Booth and I'm sorry that I haven't been as empathic as I should be._

"Don't do that Bones." He rubbed his forehead, a headache threatening to get worse. "Me being in a bad mood is not your fault. It's just . . . it's a lot of things snowballing right towards me and I'm having a tough time being unbiased about what's going on. These men and women, they're my brothers and sisters in arms and they deserve respect and honor. Devon Marshall was murdered and his body was dumped on the grave of a war hero. This is all very hard for me to take."

 _I understand, Booth . . . Would you like me to come over there. We haven't slept together for two days. Perhaps you'd like some company?_

He knew she was trying to be there for him and he appreciated it so much. "Yeah, that would be nice, Bones. Thanks."

 _I'm leaving the Lab right now. I should be there in a few minutes._

"I don't have anything ready to eat Bones." Booth stood up and walked over to the kitchen. "I just ate a sandwich when I got home. Do you want me to cook you something or order you some food?"

 _No that won't be necessary. Angela brought me dinner a few hours ago. I just want to be with you right now, Booth._

"Alright." Booth stopped and stared at the fridge. "I do have beer . . . Thanks Bones."

 _You're welcome._

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

In the end, they had found out that Devon Marshall had been murdered because he was going to reveal what had really happened to Charlie Kent in Iraq. Devon had been filled with remorse that a cover-up had occurred over a mistake that had caused Charlie to be killed by a fellow soldier. Charlie Kent had just killed an innocent Iraqi family and in the confusion that followed he himself was also killed. The guilt was too much for Devon and in the end he confided in the wrong person. Private Jody Campbell was living in her own personal hell and she didn't want to relive what happened in Iraq, so she had silenced Devon before he could tell anyone else.

Booth wanted to support the Marshall family, so he had attended Devon's funeral along with Brennan. He had observed Charlie Kent's family commiserate with Devon Marshall's mother and sister and he knew that they would eventually heal. He wasn't so sure about himself.

He had tried to tell Brennan before they became more intimate about his past and she hadn't thought it was necessary, but after this case, Booth needed to tell her. She needed to listen.

He found a chair and sat down pointing at the chair next to him, so Brennan sat down and waited for him to say whatever was on his mind.

Booth was afraid to tell her about his past, certain that she would be filled with disgust, but he didn't want to keep that part of him a secret from her. She needed to know who she was involved with and he hoped that she would forgive him.

His voice low, Brennan had to lean towards him to hear what he had to say and what he had to say was emotionally hard to hear. While in the Army, Booth had been ordered to take out a Serbian General who was in the midst of an ethnic cleansing campaign in his country. The man had been hard to isolate, but Booth had found him at his son's birthday party and had used that moment to kill a man responsible for many deaths.

Though Booth had done his duty, the one thing he remembered and would never forget was the sight of the General's small son sprayed with the blood of his father. That image was burned in Booth's memory and he found it hard to speak about and yet he did, for her.

"That little boy, all covered with his daddy's blood . . . just changed forever. It's never just . . . it's never just the one person who dies, Bones, never . . . never. We all die a little bit, Bones. With each shot, we all die a little bit." His head bowed, Booth held his clasped hands together, afraid to look at her. Afraid that she was so disgusted with him that he was about to lose her.

She knew he was in emotional pain and at first floundered around trying to think of the right thing to say, but suddenly realized that words weren't really what he needed. Slowly, she reached out and placed her hand over his hand. His hand warm in her hand, she gripped it firmly, so that he knew that she was there and that she wasn't leaving.

Grateful that she was still there by his side, Booth placed his free hand over her hand and felt a tear escape from his damp lashes. "I've never told anyone about this outside of the Army. It's something that's been with me for a long time."

"You aren't alone anymore Booth." Brennan's throat felt tight and she worried that she might say the wrong thing. "We're family. You can tell me anything."

He rubbed the tear from his cheek and raised his head to look at his girlfriend and partner. "Thanks, Bones . . . Thank you."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A long chapter, but I wanted to explore the emotions of both episodes and felt they should be written together. Let me know what you think of my story. Thanks


	18. Chapter 18

(The Woman in Limbo)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

To say Brennan was shocked would have been an understatement. Her mother's remains had been discovered in Limbo and unbelievably she had been at the Jeffersonian as long as Brennan had.

Brennan had started working in the Jeffersonian in 1998 and that is when her mother's remains had been discovered at the Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Salisbury, Pennsylvania. Her body had been illegally buried there and since there was no record of who she was, her remains had been sent to the Jeffersonian for identification.

Booth was in agony over Brennan's tears. They were in her office along with Dr. Goodman, Hodgins, Zach and Angela. He couldn't comfort her and not give away their secret, so he stood near her desk and fretted.

"Dr. Brennan, Angela has volunteered to take you home." Dr. Goodman felt bad for his star employee and he wanted to help as best that he could.

"No, I'll take her home." Booth spoke up quickly before Brennan could respond. "Bones, I think you should go home for the day."

Devastated, Brennan looked at Booth with tear stained cheeks and nodded her head. "Alright." She stood up, clutching the dolphin buckle and slowly placed it in the evidence bag. Handing it to Zach, she nodded her head, turned, grabbed her purse from the coat tree near the door, followed Booth through the open doorway and down the hallway towards the main entrance.

Once they were out in the parking garage, Booth placed his arm around her shoulders as they moved towards his SUV. "I'm sorry, Bones. I'm sorry this is happening to you. I'll take you home. You need to be able to grieve."

"Take me to my apartment, Booth." Brennan felt numb inside and wanted to be surrounded by her own things. "I need to be alone."

Booth removed his arm from her shoulders and opened the passenger door. "Sure, whatever you want." He was feeling hurt that she was shutting him out, but he knew she didn't like to deal with her emotions in public and he tried not to take it personally.

Thankful that Booth was being so understanding, Brennan entered the truck, closed the door and leaned against it.

Once he was in the truck, he patted her knee, started the truck and drove her home.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Once they were standing outside the apartment door, Brennan rummaged in her purse for her keys, opened the door and entered the living room. Once she was in, Booth debated on whether or not to follow her in. Since she didn't close the door, he slowly entered the apartment and closed the door behind him.

Brennan had stopped in the center of the living room and appeared to be frozen in place. Booth moved closer and when he did, Brennan whirled around and placed her arms around her lover. Her sobs surprised Booth, but only momentarily. He knew she hid her emotions from everyone and he felt honored and loved that she trusted him enough to cry in front of him in this way. "I'm here Bones. You tell me what you need and I'll do it."

"Just hold me." Brennan was used to crying alone, so this was a new experience for her. Ever since she had been thrust into foster care she had learned to hide her tears. She had learned quickly that tears were considered a sign of weakness and they could lead to a worsening of her situation. That she allowed herself to cry in front of Booth was mildly surprising to her, but she knew that her trust in him was the prime factor.

He held her and listened to her cry. He wanted to ease her pain, but he knew that wasn't possible. Her mother was dead and any hope of a future with Christine Brennan was now destroyed. He hadn't had any contact with his parents for years and knew he would not mourn their loss, but he would mourn for his grandfather and obviously the loss of Brennan's mother could be equated to that.

They stood in the living room for a long time. Gradually, Brennan stopped crying and stepped back from Booth's embrace. "Thank you."

Booth smiled at her and pointed at the couch. "Why don't you sit down and I'll make you some hot tea or coffee."

"Tea would be nice." Brennan moved over to the couch and sat down. "I keep some tea in a canister on the counter near the refrigerator."

"Got it." Booth moved into the kitchen, boiled some water in the microwave and made the tea he found in the canister. Not sure if she was hungry, he made her a cheese sandwich and placed it on a plate. Carrying the mug and plate out into the living room, he found her hunched over, her face resting in her hands. "Hey, here's your tea and I made you a sandwich. You should eat."

Brennan took the mug and sipped the hot tea while Booth sat down next to her. "Bones, I know this is a shock, but I promise I'm going to look into this and try to find out what happened. I give you my word."

Grateful that her boyfriend was with her, she placed the mug down on the coffee table next to the plate. "I'll look at her remains as soon as I can. Perhaps I can discover what happened to her and that will give you something to work on."

Not sure if it was wise for her to handle her mother's remains, Booth decided to remain silent on the subject. Brennan was strong and if she thought she could do it then he would back her up. "I'm sorry for your loss, Bones. I really am."

"I knew they were dead, my mother and father." Brennan sighed. "I just didn't expect to find my mother's remains in the Jeffersonian. I thought I would never find out what happened to them. It's been fifteen years."

She was calmer and Booth knew most of the storm was over. "Well, we have something we can work with now. You know just because we found your mother doesn't mean your father is dead."

"I think he is." Brennan shook her head. "Why wouldn't he have contacted me by now if he was alive? No he's dead. We just haven't found his body yet."

The phone rang, Brennan stood up and walked over to the counter to answer it. "Brennan."

 _Sweetie are you alright? Do you want me to come over?_

"No, that won't be necessary." Brennan glanced at Booth and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm fine. I'm going to lie down for a while. Thank you for calling though."

 _If you need me, call me. I can be there in no time at all._

"Thank you." Brennan stared Booth. "I'm really fine. It was just a shock that's all. I'll be in tomorrow. I'll talk to you then." She ended the call and placed the phone back in its docket. "Would you lie down with me Booth?"

Glad that she wanted him to stay, Booth stood up. "Of course. I'll call in and tell them I have a headache. I'll stay the night if you want me to."

"I want you to." Brennan moved slowly to her bedroom, Booth following her. "Thank you for being here with me, Booth. It helps. It helps a lot."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

The next few days were odd for both Booth and Brennan. The investigation into the death of Christine Brennan led from one clue to another and with it the return of Russ Brennan into Brennan's life. At first she had been furious with Booth for bringing her brother to D.C and found it unsurprising that her brother was a convicted felon. With the added information that her parents had been bank robbers, well that just seemed to be part of the whole Brennan package.

Booth thought it ironic that Brennan's family were criminals and that they had produced a champion of justice in his girlfriend. She abhorred the fact that some people thought it was alright to kill someone and think it was something they could get away with. Long before she started to work with Booth, she had actively worked in foreign countries identifying victims of purges and death squads. She worked to get them justice then and she worked to get victims of murder the justice they needed now.

Though Brennan was not happy with Booth about Russ, she didn't let that affect her relationship with him. She knew that he was working hard to find out what had happened to her mother and he was using all of the sources available to him. They both made sure that Russ didn't realize that they were a couple and slept alone in their apartments while he was in town. Brennan didn't trust her brother and Booth wasn't sure he did either.

Probably the most shocking thing to come out of the investigation was the fact that Christine Brennan had died in 1993. Brennan had assumed that her parents had died in 1991 when they had disappeared and to find out that her mother was alive until 1993 was one more bitter pill for her swallow.

Once Vince McViker was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Christine Brennan and was no longer free, the couple drove to North Carolina and invited Russ to come back to D.C. to stay at Brennan's place for a visit. Booth had meant to just drop them off at her apartment, but in the end he came up to her apartment just to make sure everything was as it should be before he went home. There was a message waiting on her answering machine when they arrived and when they heard it, it shocked everyone, Brennan most of all. Her father had left a message warning her to back off and not to continue looking for him. Shocked at the turn of events, Booth had remained at the apartment for a few hours and tried to calm down his girlfriend while Russ looked on. Careful not to give away their relationship, they both talked about the investigation and in the end decided they would continue. Russ thought it was a mistake, but they didn't seem to care about his opinion.

After Booth left, Brennan pointed out the guest bedroom and gave him a sad smile. "I've been told that the mattress is comfortable from my guests."

Pleased that Brennan hadn't asked him to leave after the call, Russ stayed overnight at his sister's apartment and being a Brennan, he was observant enough to notice some items in the apartment that clearly belonged to a man and not his sister. Curious, he mentioned them to Brennan. "I noticed that there's some men's clothes in the closet and some sports gear in the guest bedroom. Are you dating? Do you have a boyfriend?"

Since her trust was very limited when it came to her family, Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "I'm seeing someone, yes."

When she didn't volunteer any more information, Russ knew that further questions would be useless. "Well, I hope he makes you happy."

"He does. He's the only one." Brennan had nothing further to say and the conversation died.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

That night, Booth called Brennan. "Hey there. Is everything okay?"

 _Yes, I'm fine. Russ is in the guest bedroom . . . he saw your sports bag and your clothes in the closet and asked if I was dating. I told him yes, but not your name._

Booth sipped some beer and nodded his head. "I forgot I have some stuff there. I'm going to have to keep my sports gear in closets. The last thing we need is for Angela to see my gear there. At least she doesn't snoop in closets . . . I hope."

 _Yes, I didn't think that through either . . . I'll miss you tonight. I find that I'm more comfortable when we share a bed._

"Yeah, me too." Booth sighed. "Russ is only going to stay for two days, so it won't be too bad. I'm going to miss your snoring."

Outraged, Brennan gasped. _"My snoring. I don't snore."_

Amused, Booth laughed, "I'm kidding Bones. I'm just joking."

" _Oh._ " Brennan blushed. " _You know I have a hard telling when you are joking. I do better when you are in the room with me because I can see your expressions."_

"I love you Bones." Booth flipped the off button on the remote of his TV. "If you need me then call me. I won't mind."

 _Thank you. I should be fine._

"When Russ goes home, prepare for some major love making Bones." Booth smiled. "I am definitely going to show you just how much I'm missing you right now."

 _I'll take that as a promise, Booth. I miss you too._

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	19. Chapter 19

(After the Woman in Limbo)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Bracing herself for a possible argument, Brennan decided to confront Booth while he was in a good mood. _After all, I can usually count on him being in a good mood when he's eating._ "I'd like to take a few weeks of vacation and go visit Russ and his family in North Carolina." Brennan sat at the table and waited to see how her boyfriend would respond.

"Alright." Booth picked up a piece of bacon and folded it. "I think you should try to get to know him better. You two have a lot of catching up to do." _Damn I hope a few weeks doesn't mean more than two._

Surprised, Brennan stared at Booth and started to worry that she might not understand his reasoning behind his acceptance. _Is he tired of me already? He agreed to that rather quickly._ "Of course if you'd like me to wait until later, I can put it off for a while." She hated feeling insecure, but her past had a way of making her question everyone's motives around her, even if she loved them.

Before he popped the bacon into his mouth, Booth placed his hand over her hand and smiled. "No it's okay. I know you have a hell of a lot more vacation time than I do. I can't go with you to see Russ anyway because we're just partners as far as the world is concerned, so putting it off won't change anything." _Damn it._ "You go and have fun. I'll be fine." Releasing her hand he popped the bacon into his mouth and started to cut up his fried eggs. _I wonder if I can drive down there on the weekend that she's gone and meet her at a hotel for some quality time._

Her upper lip trapped between her teeth, Brennan watched Booth eat his slice of bacon. Once he swallowed it, Brennan sighed. "Alright, if you don't think you need me here . . . I'll make plans to go." _Perhaps he's just being generous. I know he wants me get closer to Russ._

Her voice sounded odd and that made Booth stop eating. Staring at her, Booth tried to decide if she was upset with him or not. _Okay, what am I doing wrong?_ "Bones, it's just a vacation. You know I'm going to take two weeks in July and go camping with Parker. You can't go with us for the same reason I can't go with you to see Russ. We have to pretend we're just partners or they might break us up. The FBI has rules about fraternization."

"I understand." The words he was using sounded logical and yet she felt strange and yes worried. "I will be gone for two weeks." _Perhaps I shouldn't go._

Her voice low and filled with uncertainty, Booth realized that Brennan had probably expected a different reaction from him. "Um, Bones, look, you want to go see Russ and I think you should too, but I know you have to know that I'm so going to miss you. You know I love you and I'd rather be with you. Damn it's going to be so fucking tough on me while you're gone, but he's your family too and you really need to meet his kids." _Thank God, two weeks. I can handle two weeks._

Surprisingly, he had spoken the words that she needed to hear, not that she knew that until he had said them. A smile on her face, Brennan leaned forward and slipped her hand in his free hand. "And I'm going to miss you too. It will only be for two weeks. That is not really a lot of time if you think about it and like you said earlier, we will have to separate for two weeks when you and Parker go camping." _He'll miss me. That is so gratifying. I should be ashamed of myself for being so selfish, but I'm not._ _He's the only real family I have._ "Of course, I'll call you every day."

"Well, it's not the same as being right there with you, but yeah we'll talk every day." He really hated to see her gone for two weeks, but he was lucky she wasn't going on a dig for the summer. "Those two weeks will just fly by, you'll see." Yeah, _about as fast as a gnat stuck in syrup. Shit! "_ So when are you going?"

Brennan picked up her juice glass and paused. "Next Monday. Russ is going to take a week's vacation with his wife Amy. They want to go to the beach I think."

"Okay, so you'll be gone two weeks." Booth grinned and buttered some toast. "Just so you know, I may not let you out of the bedroom this weekend."

Amused, Brennan chuckled. "That seems like an interesting way to spend the weekend, but I will have to relieve myself sometimes and we will both need sustenance."

Now used to Brennan's bluntness, Booth just smiled. "Well, if you have to you have to."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

For the next two weeks, Booth was almost unbearable to be around. He was short tempered and his agents realized it was better to avoid the man if at all possible. They knew his partner was on vacation and most of them realized that that was probably why Booth was in such a foul mood. Considering they worked long hours together, most had assumed that the head of Major Crimes would be happy to take a break from the prickly anthropologist, but they now knew that was a false assumption.

Agent Morris Harris leaned against the doorway to Booth's office and observed the tenseness in Booth's body, the scowl on his face. "You know you work too much. You and Dr. Brennan work so much that I think you've forgot how to relax. Since she's on vacation you need to take advantage of that and do something fun. If you need a date, Susan and I have a friend we could hook you up with. She's great and she has a great sense of humor. Her divorce is final as of last month and she's available to date. Susan told her about you and she's interested."

A scowl on his face, Booth glared at his lieutenant and friend. "I don't need anyone setting me up for dates. I do fine."

"Oh yeah?" Harris walked into the room, closed the door and sat down on the chair near the door. "When's the last time you went on a date? A real date not those lunch things you do with Dr. Brennan or those movie marathons you do on the weekend. You need to get out there and see what's available."

Irritated, Booth closed the folder he had been working with and leaned back against his chair. "I've been dating if it's any of your business, when I have time that is." Booth's scowl disappeared and his features softened. "She's nice, really nice."

Surprised, Harris leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "Well who is she? Is she someone here in the Hoover?"

"I'm not talking to you about her." Booth gripped the arm rests of his chair and coolly looked at his friend. "My private life is private. I don't want you bothering her or giving her advice about me. She's . . . she's special, she knows about my past and she doesn't care . . . She's the one I've been looking for my whole life."

More than a little shocked, Harris sat up straight. "Wow you're that serious about her? That's great. I'm happy for you . . . when can I meet her?"

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Right now we're just taking it easy and learning about each other. I'm not going to ruin this because you're nosy."

Amused, Harris stood up and stretched his lower back. "I've never seen you this cautious about someone you're dating before. I'm happy for you, Booth. It's about time."

A smile appeared on Booth's face and with it he relaxed. "Thanks . . . thanks a lot."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The two weeks were finally over and Brennan walked into Booth's apartment excited to be home. _Yes, home. This may be Booth's place, but it is just as much my home as his._

Booth heard the front door open and hurried out of the bedroom. Dressed in jeans and a concert t-shirt, he moved swiftly down the hallway and swept Brennan into his arms. "Welcome home you." _Oh my God she's so beautiful._

As Booth picked her up, Brennan dropped her bag and placed her arms around his neck. "I'm glad to be home." Her lips moved closer to his lips and they kissed, eager to taste each other after such a long separation. Slowly, Booth let her down on her feet unwilling to give up their kiss while he did so. Finally, they both separated and smiled. "It was nice visiting Russ, but I missed having sex with you." _Booth was right, phone calls were not the same as actually being with him._

"Love, Bones." Booth took her hand in his and pulled her down the hallway. "We make love, which I am about to show you as many times as I can in the next few hours." _I may not let her out of my reach for the rest of the day._

Eagerly following him towards the bedroom, Brennan admired her lover's body and the way he looked in his tight fitting shirt. "Well, I will take as many orgasms as I can get, Booth."

As they entered the room, first Booth's phone rang and then Brennan's asked for her attention. "No damn it." Furious, Booth grabbed his phone out of his pants pocket, saw who was calling and realized that he had to answer it. "What? . . . Yes, alright. Dr. Brennan is back in town. I'm going to go by her place and pick her up." Ending the call, Booth exhaled deeply. "Sorry, Bones. I guess we're going to have to wait until tonight. You'd think that Sunday's would be safe for us, but I guess a gross body behind the Treasury Building is freaking out too many people." _Damn it._

Disappointed that their plan for a day of welcome home sex was being stymied, Brennan kissed Booth and patted his hip. "Well, this is very disappointing, but hopefully this isn't a murder and we can come home early."

Pulling Brennan back into his arms, Booth kissed her once more deeply and passionately. Once they parted Booth caressed the side of her face. "I missed you so much, Bones. So damn much. I love you."

"I missed you too." Brennan felt her heart beat flutter. _I really do love this man. I just wish I could trust myself to tell him that._

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	20. Chapter 20

(After The Woman in Limbo)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Before they knew it, July arrived and it was time for Booth to go camping with his son. Their destination was Camp Outback near Luray, Virginia. Parker was excited and wanted Brennan to know all about their plans. "We're going to stay in a tent and it's got a picnic table and a fire pit and we can roast hot dogs and marshmallows and Dad said we're going to go tubing, it's a real cool place. We stayed there last year. It's got a restroom, so you don't have to pee in the woods . . ."

"Parker!" Booth didn't want his boy to talk about peeing to his girlfriend and that was a fact. "We don't talk about that kind of stuff in public. It was enough just to say they have a public restroom."

Unfazed, Parker nodded his head and waved his fork around. "Last year Dad rented a canoe and we went fishing and that was fun."

Impressed with Parker's enthusiasm, Brennan swallowed her bite of salad and placed her fork down. "It sounds like a lot of fun, Parker."

The boy scooped up some mash potatoes on his fork and shoveled it into his mouth. His mouth now full, he still managed to reply. "Yeah, it is."

"Parker we don't talk when we have food in our mouth." Booth knew his son was excited, but he was skipping the rules and it was getting aggravating. "It's gross to see the food in your mouth like that when you talk."

Quickly swallowing, Parker grabbed his glass of milk, swallowed some of it and placed the glass down. "I'm sorry."

He knew the boy was just excited, so he reached over and tousled the five year old boy's mop of hair. "It's okay Sport. You're just excited." Booth picked up his burger and took a bite of the fully loaded cheeseburger.

Brennan sipped some of her coffee and watched Booth and his son eating and felt a little sad she was going to miss the trip. It did sound like a lot of fun. "Do you cook the fish that you catch?"

Parker swallowed the bite of meat loaf he had in his mouth and took a drink of milk. "I never catch anything. Dad usually catches something, but he lets it go."

"We just catch fish for fun, Bones." Booth liked to fish, but the one time he'd cleaned a fish in front of his boy, Parker had cried for hours. Granted he'd been three years old, but Booth didn't want a repeat of that awful afternoon. "I put them back in the water as soon as I catch them."

Approval clearly written on her face, Brennan smiled. "That's nice Booth. I like that."

"Oh yeah?" Booth leaned forward and smiled at his girlfriend. "Well I'm a nice guy, Bones."

"I know you are." Brennan was well aware they were in the Royal Diner and that there were people surrounding them, so she was careful not to touch Booth or say anything intimate. "I hope you take a lot of pictures. It will help me to share in your happiness."

Booth nodded his head and stared into her bright blue eyes. "It's just for two weeks, Bones. We'll be back before you know we're gone."

Oooooooooooooooooo

"Zach this is completely unacceptable." Brennan gently placed the bone down on the steel table before her, removed her gloves and tossed them in the bio-hazard bin. "You should have noticed the microfractures in the haversian canals in this femur."

Startled, Zach came around the table, waited for Brennan to move away from the table, picked up the bone and stared at it. After a few seconds, he moved over to the magnifier and magnified the bone to get a better look. "The victim was frozen."

"Yes he was." Brennan was very annoyed. "You will go over the bones once more and do it thoroughly this time. I need the exact time of death. I will be back in a while to verify your findings."

It was nine in the evening, but Zach wasn't about to complain to Brennan about the late hours. "Yes, Dr. Brennan."

Frustrated, Brennan left the examination room and hurried to her office. Once there, she closed the door, sat down on the couch and called Booth. "Am I too late to call you?"

 _Nah, Parker's asleep and I'm just sitting next to the fire wishing I was with you._

His words were low and his sentiment made her feel loved. "You'll be home in four days."

 _Yeah . . . How's that case coming along? Did you figure out cause of death yet? I bet Harris has been camping out in your office._

"No, he's over at the Hoover or at least he was two hours ago when he called me." Brennan sighed. "We found cause of death this morning, but the time of death was obscured because I just found out the body had been frozen before it was dumped. Zach should have noticed that, but he didn't. His training is quite extensive and he should have caught that."

 _Um, well, he is just an intern, Bones. He's still learning._

"He is an intern, but he is almost ready to give his dissertation." Brennan wasn't in a forgiving mood. "He has chosen his topic which I think is brilliant and is preparing the outline now. I believe he will get his doctorate by Christmas, but not if he is careless and continues to do the shoddy work he did today."

 _Um, okay . . . Zach usually doesn't make mistakes. He hasn't seen a frozen corpse before has he? I mean it's new to him isn't it?_

"Yes, it is. No he hasn't." Brennan realized that she might have let her irritation about being separated from Booth influence her actions. "It's possible I've over reacted."

 _Eh, let's stop talking about Zach. Miss me? I sure as hell miss you._

"I do." Brennan sighed. "I prefer to work with you, Booth. While Agent Harris is competent, he doesn't have your brilliance."

 _Wow, thanks. Um, I wasn't talking about work though, I meant do you miss me miss me?"_

 _"_ I don't know what that means." Brennan shifted on the couch. "What does miss me miss me mean?"

 _It means I want to know if you miss my hot body, Bones. Do you miss sleeping with me because I sure as hell have been missing you? I've been dreaming about you and it has not been helping me at all if you know what I mean._

"Oh, I think I do." Brennan laughed. "Well, yes, I have been missing you missing you and I plan to have intercourse with you to as soon as you come home."

 _Well, okay. We'll have crazy welcome home sex and then we'll make love. How's that?_

"I think it's an excellent plan." Brennan felt better now that she had talked to her boyfriend. She hadn't really realized just how much she'd missed him until just that moment. "I missed you when I visited Russ and Amy, but we were busy going on excursions in the area and you and I talked every night, but this time, I feel that your absence has been quite stressful. I fear I have taken my frustrations out on Zach."

 _Hey, I'll be home in four days. It's just four days Bones. I'll tell you what, when you get home tonight, call me and we'll talk as long as you want to. Same goes for the next few days until I get home. I think we're both just used to being in each other's pockets and we're not used to being on our own anymore. I love you Bones. I love you okay?_

"Yes, you're right." Brennan stood up and glanced at the empty hallway outside of her office. "I'll call you when I get home."

 _Good, you do that._

The call ended, Brennan smiled. She always felt more relaxed after talking with her partner. _That's good for Zach too. Perhaps I will be more understanding until Booth comes home._

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	21. Chapter 21

(The Titan on the Tracks)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The call was unexpected and rather surprising. Booth was busy unloading the dishwasher when his phone rang. "Booth."

 _Seeley, how are you?_

"Camille, hey it's good to hear from you." Booth leaned on the kitchen counter and stared at the dishes still in the dishwasher. "How're things in New York?"

 _That's just it, Booth. I'm not in New York. I have a new job here in Washington D.C. I start tomorrow. I thought we could get together tonight and reminisce about old times._

"Tonight?" Booth looked at Brennan who was sitting at the kitchen table going over their testimony for an upcoming trial. "I would Cam, but I have this thing I have to do. Maybe we can get together for lunch tomorrow."

Booth's conversation broke through Brennan's conversation. _Who is this Cam person? He hasn't mentioned her to me._

Aware that his girlfriend was staring at him, Booth smiled at her and winked for good measure. "So what kind of job did you get? Coroner for the District?"

 _I'm the new coroner at the Jeffersonian Institute. From what I understand you work with Dr. Brennan as her partner, so small world._

Shocked, Booth shook his head. "Yeah, small world . . . congratulations, Cam. The Jeffersonian is like the apex when it comes to forensic labs. So you're going to be working for Dr. Goodman?"

 _Not really. He wants to work as an archeologist again, so he's handing over the reins to the Lab to me. I'm going to be in charge._

"Wow, congratulations." Booth felt like the world was shifting under his feet and he didn't like it one bit. "Hey, I'll call you sometime tomorrow morning and we can agree to meet somewhere for lunch then. I got to go, so hey, it's good to hear from you Cam. Welcome to the District."

 _Thanks. I'll talk to you tomorrow._

The call ended, Booth placed his phone on the counter and tried to finish unloading the dishwasher.

"Who is Cam?" Brennan shifted in her seat and faced Booth directly.

Unable to put off the conversation, Booth placed the stack of dishes on the counter, closed the dishwasher and walked over to the table where he sat down on the chair facing Brennan. "She's a friend of mine. I've known her since college. She . . . um, well, she says she's the new coroner for the Medico-Legal Lab at the Jeffersonian. Dr. Goodman hired her. She starts tomorrow." He knew she wasn't going to be happy, but he decided to just rip the Band-Aid right off. Why prolong bad news? "She's going to be your boss."

Shocked and perplexed, Brennan stared at her boyfriend and tried to figure out why Dr. Goodman hadn't hired her to be the head of the Lab. "I'm qualified to run the Lab. I wonder why I was overlooked."

He knew she was upset and there wasn't really anything he could do to soften the blow. "She's a coroner, Bones. You guys have never had a coroner working there, so maybe Goodman thought it might help you with your work to get one . . . to help you and take care of that personal bullshit you don't like. Hey you're a forensic anthropologist not a pencil pusher."

"I don't know what that is." Brennan didn't think hiring someone over her head was meant to ease her burdens. "What if this is the Jeffersonian's way of firing me?"

"Firing you?" Booth moved from his chair and stood next to her, his hand on her arm. "They're not going to get rid of you. That's crazy. You're the best forensic anthropologist in the country . . . hell the world. They can't replace you. Cam is just there to help you and to handle the day to day management of the place. You know you hate bureaucracy. You'd hate that job."

"But she will be my supervisor." Brennan didn't want a new supervisor. She was certain she could run the Lab and the coroner could work for her. "Why didn't Dr. Goodman tell me this was going to happen? It seems a little cowardly to hire someone to be my new supervisor and not tell me personally. He should have explained his reasoning to me."

"I agree." Booth knew he was walking on a tightrope without a net and it would be very hard and painful if he fell. "I totally agree he should have told you, but he didn't and he went on that sabbatical thingy, so now you can't talk to him. I mean what a fucking asshole. I like the guy, but he really should have talked to you before he left." _Instead of leaving me in a pile of shit. Fuck!_ "I'm sure it will be alright. You're science all the way not an administrator. You hate that shit. Cam can do her thing and you can do yours. It'll work out, you'll see."

"I will expect an explanation when I confront Cam . . . Cam what is her last name?" Brennan was rapidly considering her options.

Booth could practically hear the wheels turning in her head and he decided quite correctly that it was time to bail out of the conversation. Every man for themselves and Seeley Booth was not going down in the SS Minnow. He was not going to ruin his relationship by being on the wrong side. "Camille Saroyan. I'm on your side, Bones. No matter what happens, we're in this together."

"Camille Saroyan." Brennan repeated the name. "I think I am more than qualified to run the Lab. They should have asked me."

Beating a hasty retreat, Booth moved over to the dishwasher, opened it and slowly finished unloading the machine. _Fuck, fuck, fuck_! _The next few days are going to be bad, very very bad._

Oooooooooooooooo

Brennan breezed into Cam Saroyan's new office and stood just inside the doorway. "I am Dr. Temperance Brennan and I've been told that you are Dr. Camille Saroyan. Why were you hired to run the Lab? I am perfectly qualified. They didn't need to bring in an outsider to do the job."

Cam had been told that Brennan was blunt and now she knew that was true. Because she didn't want to give Dr. Brennan any advantages, Cam stood up and moved closer to the forensic anthropologist. "Dr. Goodman felt that the Lab could use a full time coroner. I was a coroner for the city of New York and a Federal Coroner. Your specialty is bones and mine is the fleshy part of the body. I will be able to officially declare someone dead, allowing our team to begin investigations immediately. Right now you aren't allowed to touch a body at a crime scene until a coroner has been to the scene first."

"But why not work for me?" Brennan didn't understand why she had been passed over and wanted an answer. "I think I am qualified for the position."

"As the coroner for New York, my department handled 12,000 bodies and performed 5,500 autopsies a year."

Impressed, Brennan nodded her head. "I see. We don't handle that many cases here at the Jeffersonian. What we do is critical though. We identify bodies from cold cases and help the FBI, the CIA and the Pentagon identify bodies when needed. Most of my work is with the FBI. I also identify the unknowns that are sent to the Jeffersonian because other law enforcement agencies around the country are unable to identify victims. The remains are kept in Bones Storage until I can identify them."

"Yes I know." Cam was impressed with the Jeffersonian and was eager to begin work, but she was not going to be intimidated by Dr. Brennan. "Still I am in charge now and I am your supervisor."

Brennan stared at the coroner for a few seconds, finally turned and left the office.

Not sure what had happened if anything, Cam stared at the retreating Dr. Brennan and sighed.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Since he had so much to lose, Booth decided to cover all of his bases when it came to Cam Saroyan. He needed to check and see how her meeting with his Bones had gone before he met Cam. Entering the Lab, he moved swiftly down the hallway and breezed into Brennan's office. "Hey Bones, I thought we could go for a cup of coffee."

Surprised to see Booth, Brennan looked up from her keyboard and smiled. "That sounds like a good idea."

Pleased, Booth waited for her to remove her lab coat and grab her purse. "How'd your meeting with Cam go?"

As she passed Booth, Brennan shifted the strap on her purse so that it was square on her shoulder. "I confronted her. She doesn't know why Dr. Goodman didn't name me as the head of the Lab, but she seems to be qualified for the position she was hired for. I will have to reserve judgement on her though. Only time will tell whether or not she's capable of doing what's needed."

Her words sounded conciliatory, but Booth knew that Brennan was studying the situation. "Do you think you'll quit your job?"

As they moved down the hallway, Brennan spied Cam move from her office out into the hallway. "I haven't decided yet."

Cam was surprised to see Booth and waited for both he and his partner to come closer. Admiring the way he filled out his suit, Cam smiled. "Booth, it's been a long time. You're looking good."

Even though she was a thorn in his side at the moment, Booth was still glad to see her. "Cam I'm glad to see you and thanks, I still work out . . . um, Bones and I are going for coffee. Would you like to join us? I won't be able to go to lunch with you today. I have a meeting at noon with the Deputy Director and it might last all afternoon."

With a glance at her watch, Cam shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm actually on the way to a meeting with the board of regents right now. It's good to see you Booth. Maybe we can do lunch later this week."

"Maybe, we can try any way." Booth smiled at his old friend. "Good luck in your meeting. Watch out for Doctor Bancroft. He runs a tight ship and he has a tendency to try to control everyone, at least that's what Dr. Goodman told me once. It's probably one of the reasons why he wanted to get out of administration."

"Thanks for the heads up." Cam glanced at her watch once more and started to walk away. "I really have to go."

Their conversation over, Booth turned and placed his hand on Brennan's back. "Let's go. Maybe I can get a sandwich to tide me over. I'm not sure if Cullen is going to order in food or not. His wife had him on a diet the last time we had a meeting during lunch and none of us ate."

"I remember." Brennan chuckled. "You were ravenous when you left work." Her smile faded as they walked to the entrance. "She flirted with you."

"Yeah, Cam and I dated for a while, but that's history Bones." Booth assured her. "I'm with you and only you. Okay? I am not interested in Cam or anyone else. You know that right?" _Damn it. I just hope she really understands I love her and I'd never cheat. "_ I'd never cheat Bones, never. I'm on your side no matter what happens."

"Yes, I know that." Brennan hated to feel insecure, but Booth was very handsome man and Cam was beautiful. _I do know that. Booth is not going to leave me. He loves me. I will deal with Cam and I will not worry about her past with Booth. This is between her and I._

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

A/N: The SS Minnow was the boat that was irrevocably damaged in the television show' Gilligan's Island'.


	22. Chapter 22

(The Titan on the Tracks)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I really don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Even if she wouldn't admit it to Cam Saroyan, Brennan was impressed with how her supervisor had handled the Federal Prosecutor in their strategy meeting about Rick Turco. Cam had stood up for her employees and surprisingly she had told the lawyer, Lisa Supack to register future complaints about the Lab and it's personnel in private and not in public. Cam had exhibited the hallmarks of a good leader and that impressed Brennan. She was still unsure about Cam's usefulness in the Lab since she was oriented towards the flesh instead of the bone, but Brennan was waiting for further evidence as new cases came in before she made her final judgment.

Back at Booth's apartment after visiting her mother's gravesite, Booth complained that his lower back was hurting as well as his feet and decided to soak in the tub for a while. Brennan knew he was in pain from the obvious way he was limping. They had had a busy day and she knew he'd been on his feet too much that day.

As Booth stripped in the bathroom, Brennan decided to make a light dinner of salad and soup. Once that was prepared, she entered the bathroom and found her boyfriend leaning back in the tub with his eyes closed. "Perhaps we should stay in my apartment tomorrow evening instead of waiting for the weekend. The tub in my apartment has jet sprays which help ease the stiffness in your back and feet."

His eyes still closed, Booth nodded his head. "Sounds like a good idea. Those jet sprays really help a lot. I wish I could afford a tub like that, but I can use your tub, so it's all good." A little drowsy from sitting in a tub of very hot water, Booth eyelids fluttered while he fought the urge to fall asleep. "I need to buy some new shoes I guess. The arch supports are starting to fail."

Kneeling next the tub, Brennan placed her arms on the rim of the tub and stared at her lover's body, admiring his musculature.

Aware that he was being examined, Booth opened his eyes and grinned. "I feel like a piece of meat lying here. See anything you like?"

Her hand dipping in the water, she splashed water on his chest and face. "I like everything I see."

Amused, Booth caught her hand in his hand and kissed some of her fingers. "I'd invite you in, but I'm trying to work out a kink in my back and you in here would definitely make that a problem."

Her laughter rich and low, Brennan removed her hand from his hand and moved it towards his thigh. "Well, that's alright." Moving her hand a little over she saw him react and grab her hand again.

"Bones, play fair." Booth shook his head and lifted her hand out of the water. "If you let me soak some more, I might be up for some love making later this evening."

Her eyes on the lower portion of his body, Brennan laughed once more. "I think you're up for it now."

Shaking his head, Booth closed his eyes, "Just a reminder, I don't have control over every bit of me and you know it. Now go away and let me soak some more."

A feeling of happiness swept through her and Brennan knew it was because of the man in the tub. "I'm going to go set the table . . . I love you Booth." _She knew she needed to say it sometime and filled with happiness she decided to try it at least once._

Surprised, Booth kept his eyes closed and smiled. "I love you right back Bones." The last thing he wanted to do was make a big deal about her declaration, but inside where Brennan couldn't see, Booth was jumping up and down with joy. _Oh my God, she said she loves me. I thought it would be a while before she said it and damn she said it. I am the luckiest man alive and that's a fact._

Grateful that Booth had just accepted what she had said and not made a big performance about it, Brennan grinned and left the room. _I do love him. I should tell him at least once in a while. I trust him. He won't use my emotions against me. He isn't like my parents. He really does love me._

Oooooooooooooooo

His bath done, his back and feet not as troublesome as they were earlier, Booth entered the kitchen in a ragged pair of jeans and a faded concert t-shirt. "Thanks for letting me soak, it really helped." The bowls on the counter waiting to be filled with soup, Booth filled both bowls and carried them to the table where he placed one in front of Brennan and the other on the table in front of his spot. "The salad looks good." After he sat down, Booth grabbed the plate of sliced French bread and placed a couple of slices on the rim of his salad bowl. "So what do you think of Cam now? She really came to bat for the team." _I hope Bones doesn't quit. She really loves that job. If she quits and has to move away to get a new job, I guess I'd have to give up Major Crimes Division, but man I hope it doesn't come down to that. If Dr. Goodman was in front of me I'd kick his ass. The least he could have done was talk to Bones before he took off._

Taking the bread plate from Booth, Brennan placed a slice of bread on a napkin next to her soup bowl and picked up her spoon. "I'm starting to see why she got the job. She stood up to Lisa Supack and protected her employees which is a good sign. I still reserve judgment about her competence though. I've only seen her perform one autopsy."

"That's fair." Booth picked up his fork and speared a cucumber slice. "She can be New York tough, but she's fair when it comes to handling her employees and her department."

"I'm not sure what that means." Brennan picked up her glass of tea and sipped some of the iced beverage. "She told me she was responsible overseeing 5,500 autopsies a year when she was coroner in New York, so I imagine that would be considered tough."

Since he didn't really want to side track the conversation explaining slang, Booth nodded his head and swallowed his bite of salad. "Yeah. Well, whatever you decide to do, I'll back you one hundred percent. If you quit, I'll just have to follow you to where ever you go. We're a couple now and since your profession is rarer than mine I'll have to be the one to move to where ever you get a job. If it's in the US I can just transfer in the FBI to some other field office. If it's outside the country, well . . . I don't know. I'm sure I could get a job doing something even if was just as an investigator or something . . . Of course we won't worry about that until we have to."

Stunned, Brennan placed her spoon down and stared at her boyfriend. "You'd do that for me? You'd leave Major Crimes if I got a job elsewhere?" Never had Brennan dreamed that anyone would ever do something like that for her. It was her experience that few people were that generous and it made her realize that any decision she made would not just affect her. "I wouldn't dream of asking you to give up your position in the FBI for me, Booth." _He can't be serious, can he? He . . . Does he really love me that much?_

"Of course I'm serious." Booth reached across the table and grasped her hand. "You and me are a couple now, a . . . what do you call it? We're in a monogamous relationship. We can't be together if we're not living together. You've got a specialized job. You took years to get where you're at in your field. Me, I'm just a cop. If I had to, I could give up being in the FBI and get something in law enforcement somewhere else." _Although I hope that doesn't happen because I really love my job. "_ I love you Bones. I'm not going to lose you now that we're together. Not going to happen."

 _I can't let him make that kind of sacrifice for me. Parker needs his father. He needs to be here in Washington._ "I'm not saying I'm going to quit, Booth. So far Cam seems to be competent and if she proves to be useful at the Lab then I will be more than happy to stay in my current position." Brennan had never felt so loved and yet so frightened at the same time. The man she loved was willing to give up a job he loved to be with her. She hadn't considered what it would mean if she quit, but Booth was forcing her to think about it and the thought of destroying his career was almost too much pressure for her to handle. "Booth if I have to quit my job, you cannot quit the FBI. Parker needs you here. There would be no guarantee I could get a job in this area and to give up your career for me would be ridiculous."

He saw the anger on her face, but he knew that he was making the right decision. "It's my life, Bones. If I want to quit to follow you to wherever you have to go for a new job then that's up to me. I love my son. Parker is important to me, but Rebecca has sole custody of my son. If I moved away, I'd try to visit him as much as I can, but Bones this . . . this thing we're talking about is important. You and me, we're together. One of us making sacrifices for the other is what being together is all about. If our roles were reversed then I would expect you to move where I moved to. I'm just a cop and I can get a job almost anywhere."

"Don't do that." Brennan removed her hand from under Booth's hand. She was angry and she was growing angrier by the minute. "What you do is important. You're brilliant as an investigator and you run Major Crimes with exemplary skill. Your department has set records for crimes solved. You just got that promotion a few months ago. The FBI values your services . . . you cannot give up your job for me." _I can't believe he's saying he'll do that. It's not logical. It's not a sane thing to do._

"What I do is important, but what I do is not who I am." Booth spoke softly. He knew their conversation was a little out of control and he needed to calm the situation down. "I've never loved anyone like I love you, Bones. I will not give you up now or ever. If worse comes to worse and you quit and get hired somewhere else, well I could just retire. Wherever you are, that's where I'm going to be. You're stuck with me, do you understand? I'm committed to what we have together. I told you that when we decided to give this thing a try. The world may not know what's going on between us right now, but that could change in a heartbeat. If you quit and you have to leave, I'm going with you. I love you Temperance Brennan. Yeah it's scary and who knows what the future is going to bring, but I know one thing. I'm going to be wherever you are."

Slowly, Brennan nodded her head and finally accepted what Booth was saying to her. _I guess I better try to get along with Cam. I will not destroy Booth's career over something as ridiculous as not caring for my new supervisor._ "If she is as good as you and she claim then this entire conversation is moot. I work with the best, Booth. The Jeffersonian is the best. If Cam is equal to the task then I will stay. _If she is truly incompetent, then I will have consider any future job with Booth in mind. I never realized how much responsibility is involved when you are committed to someone. He loves me. I need to make this work. I want to make this work._

Glad that Brennan had finally calmed down, Booth smiled and dunked his piece of bread in his soup. "Bones, I want you to be happy. If you can't be happy working for Cam then do what you have to do. We're going to be fine. I promise. Just be happy. You have a right to be happy."

"You have that right too, Booth." Brennan watched him take a bite out of his piece of bread. "I don't want you to regret being with me."

Booth swallowed and shook his head. "Never, Bones. I don't regret us at all."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	23. Chapter 23

(The Mother and Child in the Bay)

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

While Brennan was competing for dominant positon in the Lab, Booth was struggling with Rebecca's new boyfriend Drew. It put a lot of strain on both of them and they both tried to be patient with each other, but they both failed.

While driving on the way to the crime scene, Booth stewed over his situation. "So what if I want to do a little background check on Drew. That guy is living with Rebecca and I don't know anything about him. If it was just her, then I'd say she could take care of herself, but my son is in that household. I need to make sure Drew isn't a perv. That guy is seeing my son more than I am. Rebecca wants to cut into my time with Parker so Drew can bond with him. I'm Parker's father. I'm a good father. She knows that. Drew is some loser that rocks her world for God's sake." _As if I give a damn about that._

His voice was rising and Brennan knew he was upset, but she was upset too. Cam was going to beat them to her crime scene and she didn't know if she could trust her new supervisor to handle the crime scene properly. After a quick argument that momentarily diverted Booth's anger, Booth gave in to Brennan's demands and took a short cut through Grafton making them late because of a traffic tie up.

Fuming at Booth's unwillingness to use his siren to get them there sooner, Brennan approached the crime scene in a very foul mood.

The tension in the air between Brennan and Cam was palpable and caused Booth to shove his own worries behind him while he worried that his girlfriend was going to get in a physical altercation with Cam. Fortunately Cam dialed down the competition a little and Booth felt it was safe to leave the crime scene and go arrest Kyle Richardson for the murder of his late wife, Carlie. The body gave him probable cause to bring in Richardson and he was going to take great pleasure putting the cuffs on that particular douche bag.

Unfortunately Richardson did a runner before Booth got to Richardson's house and Booth had to wait to make the arrest which caused his own mood to become dark once more. His day was not going well. Not at all.

Oooooooooooooooooo

The tension in the Lab remained elevated while Cam examined the flesh of the victim. Brennan was chafing while waiting for her to finish so Zach could clean the bones. She wasn't used to waiting and flesh covered evidence as far as she was concerned was not as valuable as the bones underneath.

Cam was aware that Brennan was not happy with her, but she'd performed hundreds of autopsies and she had learned from experience that sometimes the flesh held the key to a conviction and sometimes it was the bones. She needed Brennan to understand that, but so far her forensic anthropologist was fighting her on that and unwilling to learn from her experience.

While that was going on, Booth was stalled in his investigation and he called his son on the phone. The sound of the boy's voice made him happy, but it also reminded him that Rebecca was keeping him from actually seeing his boy. What made him so angry about Kyle Richardson was that man had had a wife and they were going to have a baby together and yet he'd dared to have an affair behind her back just before she was murdered. _No respect. No damn respect at all._

Booth believed that Carlie found out about the affair, confronted Kyle, he killed his pregnant wife and unborn child and so far he had got away with it. The thought of Rebecca being murdered while carrying Parker made Booth feel sick. He loved his boy so much and the thought of him dying before he took his first breath made him realize just how lucky he was that Parker was so healthy and strong. His son was four years old and a bright child. Booth hoped that someday, Brennan might want to have a child with him and that thought made him feel calmer and less tense. He needed to work out his problems with Rebecca for Parker's sake and also for his sake. He didn't want his bitterness towards Rebecca spoil what he had with Brennan. They were still learning what it was to be a couple and Booth was worried he was going to derail the best thing that ever happened to him if he didn't get his act together.

The next time he saw his girlfriend, Booth pulled her to the side and talked to her very quietly. Cam and Zach were in view, so he knew he had to pretend that Brennan was just his partner and not his lover. "Bones, I'm sorry about this morning. I was in a bad mood and I had no right to take it out on you. My problem with Rebecca is not your problem. I'm going to talk to her as soon as I can and get this whole mess straightened out . . . we good?"

Brennan appreciated Booth's apology and even though she hated to admit that she was wrong she knew she had added to the stress between them. "Booth, it's alright . . . I'm trying to understand Cam and her insistence that flesh is valuable, but so far I don't. Still I will try harder. This case is still ongoing and I may change my mind about Cam. I'm not ready to quit yet." _I have to remember that Booth will quit his job for me and I can't let that happen. Not unless it's absolutely necessary._

Continuing to keep his voice low, Booth moved so that his back was towards Cam. "Bones, we're just in a bad place right now. Our problems are with outside shit and it's forcing us to deal with it whether we're ready or not. This is not something between you and I. We're not going to break up because my life is fucked up right now. I'm not going to let that happen, so don't even think about it." _I have got to be calmer when I deal with Rebecca. I don't want Bones to think I'm a damn loser like Richardson. I can't lose her. "_ If we were alone I swear I'd kiss you, but I can't. I love you, Bones. You and I are fine. I promise."

She had been worried about Booth's anger with Rebecca and she had also been worried about her own anger with her situation at the Lab. Brennan knew that both Booth and she were alpha personalities and they didn't like to be told what to do. It made them feel out of control and they both loved control. "We are fine, Booth. I have work to do. When we go home tonight, let's go to my apartment. I think we can put my tub to good use tonight."

Amused, Booth laughed which caused Cam and Zach to look at them. "It would appear that Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth have found something amusing to talk about."

Cam shook her head. She didn't know what she thought of her old boyfriend and his partnership with Dr. Brennan, but so far they seemed to get along well and their solve rate was fairly high. She wasn't sure if she was interested in hooking up with Booth again, but it was still an option. She just worried that her tussle for control of the Lab with Brennan might strain her friendship with Booth. "Let's concentrate on Carlie Richardson, Zach."

Once Brennan joined them, Booth left and went back to his office where he hoped to work on reports while he waited for evidence to be found that he could use against Kyle Richardson.

Unfortunately, Rebecca was waiting for him there. She had found out about him checking up on Drew and she threatened to take Parker away from him. _Fuck, could my day get any worse?_

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

During the investigation, Brennan called Booth back to the Lab and asked him to stab a body for her. Reluctantly he'd arrived at the Lab and discovered that he was needed to stab a mannequin. Relieved that it wasn't a real body, Booth took part in the experiment, but he was creeped out about the whole thing. His days as a Ranger had taught him how to use a knife in defensive or offensive situations, but to just stand in front of a replica human woman and stab her as hard as he could was just too creepy for words. He really hated the Lab sometimes.

Surprisingly the experiment proved that Kyle Richardson had not killed his wife. The murderer had been a woman and that surprised the hell out of Booth and Cam, but not Brennan or Hodgins. They only cared about the facts.

After a slight detour when they thought Karen Tyler had been the one who murdered Carlie, they found out that the murderer had actually been a veterinarian named Mary Corbis who was a friend of Carlie. She had accidentally murdered her own child by shaking the baby and in her grief and insanity she had decided to kill Carlie and take her baby since Carlie had made the mistake of saying she didn't really think she wanted her baby. It was so bizarre to Booth, but he knew that humans were capable of doing horrific things and so it was unsurprising.

Once the whole thing was over, Booth called Rebecca to offer his apology. He knew that Rebecca held all the cards at the moment and if he wanted to be in his son's life, he'd have to quit trying to control Rebecca's love life. He had his own love life to worry about.

After an evening with Rebecca, her boyfriend and his son, Booth returned to Brennan's apartment and tried to relax. Brennan had called him to tell him she would be late and he was fine with that. He knew that Brennan was still struggling with Cam as her boss and he hoped that she would work it out.

An hour later, he was lying in bed, the room dark, the only sound came from the cars passing by on the street outside when the bedroom door opened. Booth recognized the scent of Brennan's perfume and waited for her to join him. Soon the bed shifted and he felt her body press against his. "I wasn't sure how long you'd be. You okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay now that I'm with you." Brennan placed her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. "Did you come to an agreement with Rebecca about Parker?"

"Yeah." Booth moved his hand so it rested on her lower back. "I'm going to behave and quit doing background checks on her boyfriends and she's going to let me see Parker when it's my turn. No more bullshit about using my time to bond with her boyfriends."

Brennan heard the bitterness in his voice and that worried her. "We can always hire a lawyer and try to get custody of Parker."

"No we can't." Booth tried to be patient, after all she was just trying to help him. "We aren't a couple remember, at least not officially. I'm a single father with erratic hours in a dangerous job. I'm a recovered gambler and Rebecca knows all about it. She's a lawyer and a damn good one . . . You know she's a really good Mom to Parker. She makes good money and she can give Parker everything he needs . . . besides, I don't want him to end up like me. My mother ran away and I haven't seen her in years. A boy needs his mother and I won't take him from her. I just can't."

Certain he was upset with her, Brennan sighed. "I'm sorry." _I wish I was better at this sort of thing. I really do._

"No Bones." Booth realized that what he'd said sounded like censure and he was embarrassed. _God what is wrong with me?_ "Bones, you didn't say anything wrong. I'm just being a jerk right now and I'm sorry. It was good advice, really it was, but . . . well, I guess it's complicated."

She wanted to make him happy, but right now it seemed like she was a failure at it. "I will support you with whatever course of action you choose to take." She hesitated for a moment and then asked the question that had been rolling around in her thoughts all day. "Would you like another child?"

"Someday." Booth had spoken before he'd thought about it and now he worried that he'd said the wrong thing. "Wait . . . Bones I'm not asking you to have a baby with me. I know you don't want any kids and that's fine. I don't need any more kids. I have Parker. You and me are fine just the way we are. Someday, when some time has gone by and we've proven we're a great team even when we're in a personal relationship, we can tell the world we're a couple. On that day I'm going to brag about being in a relationship with the most beautiful smartest woman in the world. What we have is enough Bones. It really is."

She had spoken in the past about children and she was certain that she didn't want any, so she was grateful that Booth understood that. She loved him and would do anything for him, but she really didn't think she would be a good mother. She felt she lacked empathy. She worried that she didn't even have enough for the man she loved. "I love you Booth."

"I know you do, Bones." Booth thought about a child with her beauty and brains and his charm and athletic ability and he knew that was a child they would both love, but he would not ask her for one, ever. It had to be up to her. "I love you. We're fine together. Maybe someday, in the future you might change your mind about kids and if you do, I'd be more than happy to help you get pregnant, but if not then that's okay too, really. As long as you're in my life, I'm happy. A man like me shouldn't have this kind of luck, but somehow it happened and it's all because of you."

Brennan hated it when he made it sound like what they had was more than he deserved. It was just so wrong. "You're a good man, Booth. I know that even if you don't. We're fine and we will continue to be fine." _I really need to find a way to get along with Cam. Booth loves his job and his son and me. I want him to have all three._

Emotionally tired as well as physically, Booth closed his eyes. "The next time you want someone to stab something, ask someone else, please. I love you Bones, but there are certain things that creep the hell out of me and stabbing a woman, even a pretend woman is kind of wrong."

Brennan smiled. She knew that Booth may be an Army Ranger and he had done some questionable things working with the CIA, but there were things he would never do and she loved that about him. Her boyfriend was an honorable man and lived by a set of rules that he had learned from his grandfather. "Of course, Booth."

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	24. Chapter 24

(The Boy in the Shroud)

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He knew it was coming, he was just surprised it had taken Cam this long. "Booth, if Dr. Brennan were to quit, if she were to leave the Jeffersonian . . ."

Booth hooked his thumbs in his belt. "The Squints would flee this institution like the French Army."

"And you?" Cam knew that Booth and his partner worked well together, so she was sure she knew what he was going to say.

"I'm with Bones, Cam, all the way." Booth felt sorry for Cam, but he had already made his choice. If Brennan didn't stay then he wouldn't either. Wherever she went he would follow. He'd made his promise to his girlfriend and he was a man of his word. "Don't doubt that for a second."

Hodgins had interrupted them with news about the rose that had been found in Dylan Crane's hand when his body was found. Per usual, the entomologist had piled on unnecessary information that Booth didn't care about. When he'd finally come to the point, Booth realized that they might have a clue as to where Kelly Morris was. She was their primary murder suspect and they needed to find her. Before he left with Hodgins to find Kelly, Booth turned his attention back to his friend. "Look Cam, maybe you just got off on the wrong foot with Bones because . . . well, she was a foster kid."

The odd behavior and defensiveness by Brennan now made sense and Cam realized that Booth might be right. "Why didn't she tell me?"

If there was one thing Booth was sure of, it was that Brennan did not talk about her past to just anyone. As far as he knew, Brennan had only told him and Angela about her childhood. Like him, she was a very private person. "She doesn't do that." With a wave of his hand, Booth grabbed Hodgins arm and pulled him along. He just hoped Kelly was at the United States Botanic Garden. If she wasn't then Booth was running out of places to look for her and it was starting to piss him off.

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Sadly, the murderer of Dylan Crane turned out to be Kelly's younger brother, Alex. Sometimes the tragedies they saw while investigating crimes reminded Booth about the unfairness of life. A small boy, afraid he was going to lose the only relative he had, pushes another boy through a window and that boy falls to his death. Justice was done with the arrest of Alex, but it came with a cost to everyone that had to deal with it.

Alone, Booth sat in his apartment, sitting on the couch sipping Scotch. He tried not to dwell on Alex and how the death of the boy's parents had not been the only tragedy he would have to deal with. Branded as a murderer, too young to be tried as an adult, he would be locked up until he reached his twenties and then have to make a new life for himself. It made Booth wonder about fate. His own childhood had been tragic, but the love of his grandfather had turned his life around. Kelly and Alex didn't have anyone that could rescue them from foster care and their young lives were ruined. He also thought about Brennan. She too was a foster child, but she was strong and intelligent and fought for everything she got. She worked multiple jobs to supplement her scholarships while she was in college and persevered to graduate at the top of her class. Working under hellacious conditions, she had plied her trade in foreign countries and rose to the top of her field as the best forensic anthropologist in the world. Booth admired her strength and her ability to rise to the top. If only all children had that perseverance, but he knew that wasn't how the world worked. It never would. Some children didn't have the strength to fight for a better life. It took a special mindset and determination. Some children needed to be guided to reach for more, but without that guidance, they failed and society lost.

She entered the apartment, surprised to find it quiet. As a rule, Booth usually had a stereo on or the television since he hated silence so to find the apartment quiet was worrisome. Dropping her purse on the sideboard the near the front door, she walked down the hallway and spied Booth on the couch. "Hello."

A welcoming smile for her, Booth stood up and kissed her once she was near enough. "You're home late."

Brennan returned his kiss and sat down on the couch, her boyfriend doing the same. "I talked to Cam before I came home. I've decided it won't be necessary to quit after all."

Surprised and relieved, Booth smiled and placed his glass of Scotch on the coffee table. "That's great. What caused you to decide to stay?"

Her hand sought Booth's hand and she clutched it. "I need to stop trying to control everything at the Lab. Cam is in charge, but we've come to an agreement. I get three passes a week to defy her with no repercussions."

"Good for you." Booth was surprised that Cam had compromised like she did, but she was a damn good coroner and if she thought she could work with Brennan then he knew she would bend a little to get the job done. "I'm glad. You have friends at the Lab and I think you're a perfect fit for that place."

"Yes." Brennan knew that she had resolved to stay at the Lab because of Booth. In the end, she didn't want to take him away from a job that he loved. Someday, she might get a better job offer and if that happened she would talk it over with Booth. He would be part of the process although she already knew that he would ultimately let her make the decision. He was like that and it still surprised her that someone could be so selfless like that. She knew she would never find someone like that again. Booth loved her like no one had ever done before and she was well aware of it. She also knew that Booth had been alone for a long time and that she gave him what he needed too, someone that truly loved him and was willing to commit to him. "Cam is a very good coroner and she might be able to teach me things that I don't know. I am always open to learn new things to better myself."

Booth placed his arm around her shoulders. "I was hoping you'd work it out. The Lab wouldn't be the same without you. The Jeffersonian has invested a lot of money in the Lab because you're there and our partnership has such a high solve rate because we have the tools we need. Our success shines a light on the Jeffersonian and believe me they'll want that light to shine bright for a long time. Of course, it gives the FBI bragging rights too and that can only be good for us. In a few months, we might be able to let everyone know we're together. By then, we'll be even more valuable to them and I'm pretty sure they won't break us up. It'd be the stupid thing to do and the people we answer to are not stupid."

His words were sincere and optimistic which made Brennan smile. "Yes, I think you are right. We do make a good partnership and I am quite certain we will remain so in the future."

"Did you get a chance to eat?" Booth picked up his Scotch and sipped some of the amber liquid. "I was waiting for you to come home. I thought we might order some Chinese take-out. I'm too tired to cook."

Her stomach rumbling, Brennan blushed. "I think I could eat." Brennan took his glass from him and finished the drink. "I'll go change clothes while you order." Handing the empty glass to Booth, Brennan stood up. "Make sure you order extra ribs this time. The last time you were still hungry after you ate all your ribs and stole my spring rolls. I wanted those."

Amused, Booth laughed. "I'll order extra ribs and spring rolls. I'm very hungry."

"Of course you are." Brennan shook her head and entered their bedroom. _If I ate as much as he does I'd be fat. It must be nice to have a high metabolism._

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	25. Chapter 25

(The Truth in the Lye)

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I don't own Bones.

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Rebecca had dropped by Booth's apartment after Brennan had left for work to pick up a comic book that he'd bought for the boy. He had originally planned to drive over to her place and leave it in the mailbox, but she had called him the previous evening to ask him if he was still taking Parker for the weekend. When Booth mentioned the comic book, Rebecca had decided to swing by Booth's place and pick up the present on the way to work. Booth had told Brennan that his ex was coming by before he went to work and Brennan had decided to leave before Rebecca had arrived.

While Rebecca was in Booth's apartment, Rebecca has noticed a pair of women's earrings on the coffee table and she had become instantly jealous. She wasn't sure why she was jealous since she was in a relationship with Drew, but perhaps it was because she and Drew were already having personal problems and she was tired to fighting with people she was supposed to love. As Booth handed the magazine to his ex, Rebecca had grabbed his arm, stepped in and kissed him.

On the verge of panic, Booth stepped back and shook his head. "Rebecca you can't do that. You're with Drew and . . . and I'm not with you anymore."

Her cheeks a dusky red, Rebecca knew that she had made a mistake. "No, I shouldn't have done that. It's just that Drew and I are separated right now and I . . . no you're right. I shouldn't have . . . . Um, well, you're single and not seeing anyone, at least I assume you aren't and I don't see the harm . . ."

"Rebecca, I am seeing someone right now." Booth tried to be very careful about how much information he gave out. "I can't . . . I can't be intimate with you because it wouldn't be right. I don't . . . um, I can't be with you and her too. It's not right. It's cheating and I don't cheat."

The situation was awkward and Rebecca felt ridiculous for putting both of them in an embarrassing situation. "No, I understand. Who is she? Is she someone you work with?"

Unwilling to answer any of those questions, Booth tried to hand the comic book to Rebecca again. "Hey, it's getting late and I need to go to work."

She glanced at the earrings again, took the comic book and placed it in her purse. "Is your relationship going to interfere with Parker's visits with you? I don't think I want a strange woman here when my son is here."

Shocked at the double standard that Rebecca was advocating, Booth placed his hands on his hips. "So you can bring home strange men, but I can't date? What the hell Rebecca? I promised not to interfere in your private life, so I damn sure think that applies to me too. Who you date is your business and who I date is my business."

"I don't want my son exposed to floozies." Rebecca was starting to get very angry. "He's just a child and I don't want him exposed to the wrong people."

"Well thanks a lot." Booth was furious. "I have standards and they're probably higher than yours. Don't tell me who I can and cannot date. You hate it when I do it to you and you've told my ass off for trying, well that works both ways. Whoever I'm dating won't be here when Parker is here, can you say the same about the guys you date?"

"I'm going now, I'm not really in the mood to put up with one of your moods." Rebecca knew that Booth was right, but there was no way she was going to admit that. As long as his girlfriend wasn't around when Parker was around then she was satisfied.

Seething with anger, Booth watched Rebecca leave and once she was gone, he turned and punched the wall, breaking the skin on his knuckles. "Well that was stupid."

While he was washing his hand in the bathroom, his phone rang. He had a case and he was not in a good mood. After he retrieved his gun and badge from his wall safe, Booth hurried from the apartment, trying to calm down. The last thing he needed to happen was piss off Brennan for no good reason.

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Booth was determined to be honest as much as possible with Brennan. He owed it to her and to him as well. Lying never did anyone a good turn and experience told him that it could only lead to trouble. After they'd met at the crime scene and Brennan had looked over the situation, she had decided that the tub of body goo had to be taken to the Lab. Once that was arranged, Booth and Brennan walked back out to the parking lot where Booth could talk to her. It wasn't as private as he wanted it to be, but it would have to do for now.

"Look Bones, this morning, when Rebecca came over she uh . . . well she kissed me." Booth noticed Brennan stiffen and he hastened to continue to explain. "I didn't kiss her back. She and Drew are having trouble and she's feeling lonely or unwanted or something, anyway I stopped it right away. I told her I was seeing someone and I wasn't interested."

Not sure if she was angry at Booth or Rebecca, Brennan crossed her arms against her breasts. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I don't believe in keeping secrets." Booth could see that Brennan was angry, but he had to be totally honest with her. "She kissed me, I didn't kiss her. I think from now on when Rebecca wants to meet me, I'll insist it's in a public place. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

Her feelings mixed, Brennan tried to understand what she was feeling. "Why would she kiss you? Even if she is having personal problems, that shouldn't give her carte blanche to kiss you or anyone else."

"It doesn't." Now Booth was starting to worry. "I wanted you to know what happened because I don't want to hide anything from you. You need to be able to trust me like I trust you. She just kissed me and I didn't kiss back. That's all that happened and it won't happen again . . . we good?"

Feeling cold, Brennan jerked her head up and down, dropped her hands to her sides and turned to face her car. "I have to go."

"Bones, please." Aware that Cam had stepped out of the building, Booth stayed where he was and watched his girlfriend enter her car and drive away. Afraid his honesty had just caused him to lose his girlfriend, Booth yanked open the door to his SUV, hopped in, slammed the door shut and pounded the roof overhead with a closed fist.

Witnessing Booth's melt down, Cam worried about his partnership. She knew that Brennan was difficult to work with, but she hoped that Booth wasn't angry enough to severe his partnership over whatever he was angry about and really, the man was livid about something.

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She really didn't want to interfere with her employee's relationship with her partner, but Cam thought it might be a good idea to at least find out what was going on. "I noticed that you and Booth had a disagreement in the parking lot at the crime scene. Is there anything I can you help with?"

Troubled that Cam had witnessed Booth and her tense conversation, Brennan tried to be calm and professional. "We weren't arguing."

Wary about continuing the conversation, Cam sighed and decided in for a penny in for a pound. "He was angry enough to punch the roof of his truck after you left."

Startled, Brennan looked at Cam and realized that she should have talked further with Booth and not just left him in the parking lot. "I think I need to go see Booth." Removing her latex gloves, Brennan tossed them in the biohazard bin. "I'll be back as soon as I can be."

Not really satisfied with Brennan's response, Cam realized that it was probably better if Brennan and Booth worked on their own problems and she just stayed out of it.

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Brennan entered Booth's office, closed the door and locked it. "Booth I need to talk to you."

Surprised to see her, Booth stood up. "Bones, I'm sorry about this morning. Maybe I shouldn't have told you, but I thought I needed to be honest with you. You and me, we need to be able to tell each other anything and I just thought . . . "

"Booth!" Brennan held up her hand and interrupted him. "I shouldn't have become angry about what you told me this morning. I appreciate that you were just trying to be honest with me and I do understand that you did not initiate the kiss. I was just . . . I just didn't like the idea of Rebecca thinking it is okay to take liberties with you. I do realize that she has no idea that you and I are a couple, but the thought of her kissing you when you belong to me is just . . ."

"I belong to you?" Booth was shocked to say the least. "Really?"

Embarrassed, Brennan blushed. "I know we are not married and we are just in a monogamous relationship and no one owns anyone since servitude and slavery is both illegal and immoral, but we are in a committed monogamous relationship and you do belong to me or at least your affections belong to me and I don't believe in sharing."

A feeling of lust mixed with love washed over Booth. "God Bones, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, ever. I mean, yeah we don't own each other, that's . . . but yeah we're together now and I do belong to you and you belong to me. We are definitely not sharing with anyone else. No way . . . God, I wish this office didn't have glass walls."

Now that she had talked to her boyfriend, Brennan realized that she had let herself be jealous for unknown reasons and she would try to suppress those feelings in the future. Turning, she pulled down the blinds on the walls and door behind her and turned back to smile at Booth. "Now they are not an impediment." Booth moved around his desk and stepped over to where Brennan was waiting for him. Pulling her into his arms he kissed her. "I love you Bones."

"I love you too, Booth." Brennan sighed. "I left you in the parking lot this morning because my feelings were hard for me to understand. At first I was angry with you and I knew that didn't make any sense, so I had to leave before I said something that might damage our relationship . . . Booth this is who I am. I don't handle social situations very well. Sometimes I'm confused and I don't understand what I am feeling. I . . . "

Booth pulled her closer and kissed her again. When he felt her relax Booth separated their lips. "Bones I know who you are and it's fine, you're fine. Don't try to be someone you're not. If you're mad get mad, but please don't shut me out. Never shut me out."

"I won't." Brennan hugged her boyfriend and knew that she really did trust him. She just needed to learn to understand herself. Her life was complicated and she was learning what it was to be involved with someone, someone she loved.

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	26. Chapter 26

(The Woman in the Sand)

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He really hadn't been that excited about flying across the country just to get Brennan to verify that a body found in a desert belonged to a missing Federal Prosecutor. After five years, the body was just bones and that meant that Brennan's skills were needed to make the official identification, but Booth had spent enough time in deserts to know that he hated them. _Give me green grass and trees anytime._

While they were doing their job, Brennan had noticed vultures circling overhead not too far from where they were and the reason turned out to be a badly decomposed body partially buried in the sand. Now they had two bodies to deal with instead of one. One a Federal Prosecutor who had been murdered five years ago and the other a young woman in her twenties who had died ten days earlier.

Brennan had identified the skeletal body as Mason Roberts and with the help of a serial number on a hearing aid the other body had been identified at Billie Morgan. Her job done, Brennan had wanted to return to D.C. at once, but Booth had found himself part of a wider investigation and since he was going to be doing most of his investigative work in Las Vegas he needed Brennan to stay. Embarrassed to explain why he'd needed her, he'd pointed out that it was possible that there would be more bodies to identify since their case had grown from one to two and he needed her there. It had been a while since he'd been in a casino and he knew that it was going to be hard to fight his addiction by himself.

It wasn't until they had entered a casino to interview a loan shark named Lewis Mackey that Brennan realized why Booth had wanted her to stay. As they crossed the lobby and into the gambling hall, Brennan had observed her boyfriend's sudden change. His eyes were almost wild in their state of panic. His breathing was shallower and his hands had a slight shake. "Oh my God Booth. I completely forgot. You can't be here. You're a degenerate gambler." _Why didn't I remember his gambling addiction?_

His eyes on the flashing lights denoting a winner at one of the one-armed bandits, Booth swallowed and tried to control his reactions. "Former gambler, okay? Not degenerate. I've been through the program." A movement in the corner of his eye and Booth recognized the man they were looking for. "He's on the move." The sounds and the sights of the gambling going on around him were causing him some distress, but he resolved to focus on his job. _Damn it. This is ridiculous. I've been through the fucking program. I can do this._

Brennan didn't care about Mackey or anyone else. "Booth, do you need to leave or sit down? You look so strange."

Forcing his gaze to move towards his girlfriend, Booth knew he had to be honest with her, even if it was embarrassing. "It'll pass, I think . . . I hope. That's why I need you here. It's the sound of the winning . . . it's . . . it's the sound of the winning, but if you're here with me . . . with me . . ." His heart was beating faster than normal and his skin felt clammy.

"I understand Booth." And she did. Booth had never hidden his gambling addiction from her and she knew that right now he was in trouble. "I'm with you. I'm not going anywhere. You go talk to Mackey and I will be nearby in case you need me." _He needs me and I will not fail him._

Grateful for her kindness, Booth finally collected his thoughts and tamped down his need, his want. "Yeah, thanks Bones . . . I'm alright now." He wasn't really alright, but at that moment he knew he had someone to back him up and he knew he wouldn't gamble with her there. He would not throw his relationship with her away for dice or cards. She was his shield and he would use that shield while he was there. _Thank God she stayed._

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After Booth was severely beaten while participating in an underground fight club, they had confronted Joe Noland about his role in the slaying of Mason Roberts and Billie Morgan. Joe hadn't killed either one, but he knew who did and he was willing to testify against the culprits. Once Joe was turned over to the local Federal Agents, Booth was more than happy to retire to his hotel room.

When Booth and Brennan had taken rooms at the hotel, they had booked separate rooms that were side by side. They had to rent separate rooms to maintain their subterfuge that they were just partners, but they had kept the door open between the rooms and they both slept in Booth's room.

After they returned to their rooms, Brennan left her room and retrieved ice from the ice machine down the hall while Booth stripped and sat in a tub full of hot water. Once she was back, she placed the container of ice on the dresser in Booth's room and entered the bathroom to check on Booth. Shocked, she had stopped just inside the doorway and stared at her battered boyfriend.

"It's alright, Bones." Booth knew he looked a sight with the numerous bruises all over his upper body and his face. "I've had worse done to me." And that wasn't a lie. He'd been tortured while he was a prisoner of war during Operation Desert Storm and the beating he'd had that night, though brutal wasn't worth worrying about. _Once you've had your feet broken, a few punches aren't really anything to get shook up about._

Brennan knew that Booth didn't consider his beating something she should worry about, but she did worry about it. It had been awful to watch him being beat in the first place and she was so happy to help him bring down the beefy fighter by pointing out some physical flaws the man had. "I have some ice on the dresser . . . would you like me to order some dinner. We haven't eaten this evening. I can order something light since I know your mandibular ramus and mental foramen suffered blows."

Not really sure what she was talking about, he assumed she was talking about his jaw or face. He was learning the bones in the body, but it was a slow process and at that moment he didn't want to ask her to explain. "Um, thanks. Some soup would be great. Maybe some bread and butter. I'm pretty sure I don't want to saw through a steak right now, some of my teeth feel loose . . . oh and an ice cold beer or two would be great."

In need of something to do, Brennan nodded her head. "Yes, that sounds good. I'll order the same for me." After she left the room, she sat on the bed and held the phone in her lap. _He's going to be alright. I'm fairly sure he hasn't broken anything, but I will insist once his bath is done that he let me examine his body to make sure._

Once she was out of the room, Booth groaned and sank down further in to the hot water. The tub was big and his large frame wasn't squeezed in like it was in his tub at home. _Shit I'm getting too old to take a beating like this. At least most of the bruises are on my body and not my face. I don't want to freak Parker out when he sees me next weekend._

Their food ordered, Brennan returned in the bathroom and sat down on the edge of the tub. "When you're done, I'd like to inspect your body to make sure you didn't break any bones."

A leer on his face, Booth smiled at Brennan. "Sure you do."

"Booth, I need to make sure you're alright." She wasn't sure why he had said what he said, but she wanted to assure him that she was just trying to look out for him. "If you have any broken bones, you'll need to go the hospital."

Before he could answer a phone rang in the other room. Brennan patted Booth on the shoulder and left to answer it.

Since the water was cooling rapidly, Booth reached out and flipped the lever to drain the tub. Once that was accomplished he stood up, stepped out and grabbed a towel. After he was dry, he gabbed the robe lying on the sink, slipped it on and left the room.

On the phone, Brennan nodded at Booth to acknowledge his presence. "Yes, the case has been resolved. We're leaving in the morning . . . No Angela we have separate rooms, we're just partners . . . No Angela, separate rooms . . . I'll probably see you tomorrow . . . Yes, good-bye."

Booth was certain he knew what Angela was hassling Brennan about and he wasn't amused. _Damn busy body._

Her call ended, Brennan stood up and moved over to where Booth was standing. "Alright, remove your robe and let me examine you."

A little self-conscious, Booth removed the robe and let it drop at his feet. "I told you I'm fine, Bones. This isn't necessary." _This is what it's like to have a forensic anthropologist as a girlfriend. Oh well, it's kind of hot._

Brennan carefully moved her fingers over the areas that were bruised and tried not hurt her boyfriend too much. After a while, she smiled and kissed him. "I don't think anything is broken. I would prefer you to go to the hospital and make sure, but I suppose you won't go."

Her concern for him both pleased him and made him feel loved. "No, I told you I'm fine." As he leaned over to kiss her a knock at the door interrupted him. Quickly grabbing his robe, he shrugged it on while Brennan moved towards the door. A quick glance back assured her that Booth was covered and presentable, so she could open the door.

The waiter moved the table laden with covered dishes into the room and smiled. "Your dinner Madam."

After she presented the man with a tip, Brennan saw him out and locked the door. "Angela told me I should take the opportunity while we're here and have sex with you. She said that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Whatever that means."

"It means that you can do naughty stuff here and once you leave you can pretend it never happened." Booth removed the covers from the dishes and found two bowls filled with vegetable soup, two small salads and sliced bread with butter. There were also two bottles of beer.

Brennan thought about it for a moment and then shook her head. "No, if I'm going to do anything naughty, I'd prefer to remember it." As quickly as she could, Brennan pulled Booth's robe away letting it fall to the floor. "I find I like you like this. The bruises are jarring, but it doesn't detract too much from the effect."

Stepping closer to Brennan, Booth reached for her blouse and began to unbutton it. "Well, I think if we're going to be naughty, you'll have to join me . . . you wearing clothes and me not . . . that's not going to happen Bones."

Amused, Brennan let Booth undress her smiling the whole time he was disrobing her.

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	27. Chapter 27

(Aliens in a Spaceship)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Waiting for Brennan at the Diner, Booth expected her to be a little late since she had gone to Karate class, so when the phone rang he was sure it was Brennan telling him she was on the way.

 _Temperance Brennan and Jack Hodgins have been buried alive. Wire transfer eight million dollars to the following Grand Cayman account or they will suffocate to death. Upon receiving the wire transfer I will provide you with Brennan and Hodgins' GPS coordinates. This will be the last communication._

His heart racing, Booth felt on the verge of panic. Collecting himself, he knew that what he needed to be was calm and collected. Taking a couple of minutes, he suppressed his fears and moved into his Ranger mode. The Gravedigger had kidnapped his girlfriend and if he had any say in it, it would be the last thing that monster ever did. His heart now beating normally, he called Cam and let her know about Brennan and Hodgins. They had work to do and little time to do it in. He would get Brennan back and no one was going to stop him. She was his world and he would do everything in his power to get her back.

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While he helped the team search for Brennan and Hodgins, Booth came close to confessing his relationship with Brennan to Cam, but then reconsidered it. He was afraid that if the FBI found out that his partner was also his girlfriend then they would yank him from the case and there was no way that was going to happen. He had to find Brennan and Hodgins and no one was going to keep him from doing that.

In the meantime buried underground, Brennan and Hodgins fought to stay alive. Brennan had helped Hodgins with a serious problem with one of his legs. He had been hit by a car before he was kidnapped and it had caused damage to his legs. She had suspected he had compartment syndrome in one of his legs which was causing him great pain. She'd alleviated the danger by making a long incision in the fascia to release the pressure inside. Hodgins had passed out from the pain of the incision and Brennan had worried that she'd killed him, but in the end she had done more good than harm and once he was awake they found he was in less pain.

While they worked on different ways to stay alive and to communicate with the outside world, they chatted about various topics, trying to encourage each other. After running out of ways to prolong their lives, they decided to be proactive and find a way to escape. Before Brennan blew out the windshield of the car they were in to try to reach the surface, they had both written letters to their loved ones. Hodgins had written to Angela and Brennan had written to Booth. After she had written it, she placed the letter in one of the pockets of her jacket and hoped it would survive. She wanted her final words to reach her boyfriend and she knew that he needed to read those words.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

They were sitting in St. Patrick's and Booth was praying. Brennan had wanted to come with Booth because she hadn't wanted to be alone in her apartment. When Booth had pulled her from the loose gravel that surrounded her, she never felt so relieved to see anyone as she had at that moment. After a quick trip to the hospital to verify that her worse injuries was the burn on her back where the Gravedigger had tased her and the numerous bruises on her body where she had tried to claw her way to the surface from her car pulling Hodgins with on hand while he pushed up from below. The rocks and gravel had caused numerous abrasions and bruises, but she was in good physical shape. Now she was sitting in the church staring at her boyfriend as he prayed silently to his God.

Once he was done and sat back on the pew, Brennan hugged his arm and leaned against him. "I knew you wouldn't give up." _I knew he would search for me for as long as he could. I knew I could trust him not to give up._

"I knew you wouldn't give up, either." Booth had counted on Brennan and Hodgins to fight to survive and he never lost hope. He had known that they were alive and that all they had to do was pinpoint where they were. "Thank God you blew out that window. I'm not sure we'd have found you in time, if you hadn't."

"I knew we had to do something." Brennan sighed. "There was a risk that we would die in the explosion, but there was no doubt that we would die if we did nothing."

Booth patted her knee and was so thankful that she was sitting next to him. "God I was so afraid. I thought we could count on the Cantilever Group to pay the ransom, but Hodgins had left instructions that if he was ever kidnapped that he wanted them to get proof he was alive before they paid. We didn't have any way to contact the Gravedigger and I didn't have eight million dollars. Hell I don't have eight thousand dollars . . . the FBI doesn't believe in paying ransom, but I swear I would have paid it if I could."

She heard the strain in his voice and she knew he was still upset that she had been in danger. "I don't think paying the ransome would have saved me or Hodgins. Logically this was a way to get rid of Hodgins and I. We must have been getting too close to the Gravedigger and this was a way to stop that from happening."

"You're probably right." Booth was filled with anger and he knew if he ever got his hands on the Gravedigger he might be tempted to kill the man where he stood. He considered the kidnapper to be evil and that life meant nothing to him. Booth had come too close to losing the woman he loved and he would never forgive that vile criminal for trying to kill her. "Still, I would have paid it I'd had the money. You mean more to me than any amount of money you can name. I can't believe how close I came to losing you. _I don't know what I would have done if I had. I really don't know._

Oooooooooooooooo

That evening, as they prepared to go to bed, Brennan remembered the letter she'd written and decided to let her boyfriend read it. She felt he had a right to know what she had been thinking as she contemplated her own death. As Booth removed his shirt, Brennan retrieved the letter from the filthy jacket in the clothes hamper and brought the letter to him. "When Hodgins and I thought we were going to die, I wrote you a message just in case you were able to find my body." _I hope I'm doing the right thing letting him read it._

A chill ran through Booth as he took the letter from Brennan. His shirt discarded on the floor, he sat down on the edge of the bed and opened it.

 _Dear Booth,_

 _These are the last words you will ever hear from me. I know that you are looking for me and I know you must be worried that I'm suffering. I'm not. Hodgins and I have worked diligently up to this point and we are not suffering from lack of oxygen nor are we in a lot of pain._

 _We have talked it over and we've decided to try to escape from this car. If we are unsuccessful then you can at least be proud of the fact that we tried to help ourselves._

 _I love you, Booth. No one has ever loved me like you do. You have given me a family which I have forgone since I was fifteen. Your son Parker has been like a son to me. You have been most generous to share him with me and I'm thankful for that._

 _You have opened my eyes to love and what that means. Before I met you I thought of love as just chemicals that control your brain for a short period of time. You made me realize that love is more that chemicals. It's trust and kindness. It's being with someone who wants to make you happy. It's bickering about silly things and making up afterward. It's allowing myself to give a piece of me to you and not worry what you will do with it._

 _Booth, you have made me happy. I love you and I know you love me. Please don't let my death make you sad enough to go back to gambling. Don't give up on yourself. I believe you are strong and you can continue to live your life as it should be. You are a good man, a very good man and I want you to believe that. Please believe that Booth._

 _Love Bones_

His throat tight with emotion, Booth stood up, moved closer to Brennan and pulled her into his embrace. "Bones, I . . . Bones I love you so much."

She felt hot tears move down her cheeks and she let them as she held her boyfriend as close to her body as she could. "I love you Booth. No one loves me in this world except you and I . . . and I . . . "

He moved to kiss her, silencing her words. They had come so close to losing each other and Booth felt that there was no need for words. Not at that time. They were together again and that was all that mattered.

Oooooooooooooooo

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	28. Chapter 28

(Judas on a Pole)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Even though Russ had been back in her life for a few months, Brennan still didn't feel as close to him as she did when they were young children. There was always that moment when he turned his back on her and gave her to the state of Ohio that stood between them. He had abandoned her just like her parents had and that was very hard to forgive or forget though she was willing to try.

After her mother's body had been found seven months earlier in an unmarked grave, Booth had tracked down Russ and after a few shaky conversations, Brennan had decided to allow her brother back into her life. The fact that her father was still alive placed a barrier between her and her brother though. Unfortunately, Brennan couldn't overcome that niggling idea that Russ had known their father had been alive the whole time. In all those years when her father had been gone, he had never once tried to remove her from Foster Care. He hadn't bothered to contact her and her trust in her father had been crushed. She had been left to defend herself and that betrayal by family was not something she expected from someone who loved her. She had learned independence, but that had not kept her from regretting the loss of her family.

Brennan only trusted one person completely and that was Booth. He knew that and accepted that burden and it was a burden. His girlfriend had no reason to trust anyone and it took a lot of time and effort to win that from her. Angela had persevered over time and had become Brennan's friend. Zach and Hodgins had also earned her trust and they had become people that Brennan knew she could count on. She didn't completely trust them like she trusted Booth and Angela, but they were part of her inner circle and she did enjoy their camaraderie, her sense of belonging.

A burned body found on the roof of a hotel had started a chain of events that had left Brennan shaken and Booth trying to help her through it. The fact that that charred body blew open a conspiracy in the FBI that almost ended Booth's career and jeopardized Russ' life had just been more outrages that Brennan could place at her father's doorstep and she found that very hard to forgive. Two bodies, horribly burned, a graphic message from her father to people he considered his enemies had left no doubt in anyone's mind that Max Keenan was a very dangerous man. He was a killer and death lay in the wake of that con man no matter where he went.

The fact that Russ had abandoned his girlfriend and his step-daughters to run away with their father just added to Brennan's contempt for her real family. Max obviously didn't want her and she had to accept that. She had no family except for Booth.

Oooooooooooooooo

"Bones, I'm really sorry that your father and Russ just took off like that, leaving you behind." They were finally back home in Brennan's apartment after waiting for a tow truck to come and pick up Caroline's car. Brennan had driven them back from the seminary to the Lab and afterward Booth had borrowed Brennan's car, tracked down Caroline, handed over Special Agent Augustus Harper's notes which Max had given to Brennan and they were quickly presented to the Attorney General who used them exonerate Booth and return him to the folds of the FBI.

"I wouldn't have gone with them, Booth." Brennan stepped into her bedroom to get ready for a bath. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to clean up and go to bed. "Dad is a murderer. It's my job to catch people like that not run away with them."

Booth followed Brennan into the bedroom and leaned against the door frame watching her remove her jewelry and place it in a box on the dresser. "I know that Bones. I just meant I'm sorry that your Dad left you again. You don't deserve that."

"I'm just one of those people that don't get a family." After she said it, she realized that Booth might misinterpret what she'd just said and the look on his face confirmed it for her. "I didn't mean that the way it sounds, Booth. I just meant I don't get a father and siblings. I have you, you're my family, but there isn't anyone else."

At first Booth was taken aback by her statement, but he knew she was just trying to accept what her father and brother had done. Their continued betrayal was destroying her faith in family and it left Booth with someone heartbroken who didn't deserve it. "That's not true, Bones. Angela is like a sister to you. Hell she's closer to you than my own brother is to me. And Hodgins . . . Hodgins is hard to know, but he really likes you and he's your friend. Zach . . . well he's weird, but he's your family too. There are all kinds of families in this world. You've got a family, Bones and we're here for you. You're not alone."

Filled with sadness, Brennan moved over to where Booth was standing and placed her arms around him. His arms pulled into his warm embrace and she felt his love, his kindness. "Yes, you're right. I've been without a father and brother for fifteen years. I should be used to it by now. It's just . . . he was alive this whole time. I assumed that Max was dead like Mom and he wasn't. He left me in Foster Care. He never tried to contact me until seven months ago and that was just to warm me off and now . . . and now, when he does come back into my life, he pretends to be a priest, he murders two men and he takes my brother away from me again."

"Bones, your Dad killed those men to try to protect you." Booth knew Brennan was only seeing the negatives, but Booth needed her to see the positives too. "He loves you so much, he risked getting caught coming back here to protect you and Russ . . . "

"Don't Booth." Brennan pulled away and stared deeply in to her boyfriend's eyes. "Don't gloss over what he did. My father is a murderer. He not only killed Delaney and Deputy Director Kirby, we know he had McViker killed in jail too. Don't try to make him out to be better than he is. Good guys don't murder people or have people murdered."

If there was something Booth was sure of, it was when to give in. "Don't be mad. I'm not glossing anything over." Her anger was now bubbling under the surface and there was no way Booth wanted to have an argument with his girlfriend about her father. "Just remember, I'm here, Bones. I'm your family. Angela and Hodgins and Zach are your family. Even Cam is your family now. The hell with Max and Russ. They can take care of themselves." _If I get my hands on those two idiots . . . I can't believe they did this to her again. Shit!_

Brennan let her anger go. She knew that Booth was trying to be kind and he was not taking Max's side. _I love him so much. He's so kind._ "It's alright Booth. You're right. I do have a family that I can be very proud of. You and Angela mean so much to me." _I will not cry because my father and brother abandoned me again. Tears are useless and it will not change anything._ "Was Caroline angry when she heard about her car?"

His mind shifting gears, Booth nodded his head solemnly. "Angry doesn't even begin to cover it. I turned it into my insurance, they'll cover it, but I do have to pay the deductible. Caroline wants it fixed. She loves that piece of shit and doesn't want to get a new car."

"I'll pay the deductible." Brennan felt terrible that Booth was going to pay for something her father did. "Max did that and he's my father. I'll pay the deductible."

Since he knew if he objected, she'd just get angry, Booth nodded his head. He had calmed her down and there was no way he was going to rile her up again. She'd been through enough the last few days. They'd all been. "Sure, if you want to." Booth moved into the room and sat down on the bed. "Why don't you go get a bath and then go to bed? You're exhausted. We both are. We should just go to bed early tonight."

"Yes, I agree," Brennan removed a t-shirt and shorts from her dresser and walked over to the bathroom. "Even though we cleaned Kirby's blood from the floor, I'm going to have to hire someone to come in and strip the floor and refinish it. The blood stained the wood."

After she entered the bathroom, Booth laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Max had betrayed his daughter once more and Booth hoped he never saw the man again. _All he does is make Bones cry. Neither one of us won the Dad lottery and that is a fact._

Ooooooooooooooooooo

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	29. Chapter 29

(The Man in the Cell)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

He'd ordered an FBI team to tail Brennan while Howard Epps was on the loose and in the end they had witnessed Booth trying to save Epps when the convicted murderer jumped from the balcony of Brennan's apartment. Booth had held on to Epps as long as he could, but in the end he dropped the man and Epps died when he hit the pavement below. Agent Ramirez had been in the lobby of the apartment building when Epps had died so he hadn't witnessed Booth's struggle to get Epps to try to save himself, but the sniper across the street witnessed the whole thing and reported that Booth had gallantly tried to save a man who didn't want to be saved.

Booth sat in the dining room, holding a cup of coffee, not really seeing anyone in the room. Brennan wanted to comfort her boyfriend, but no one knew of their relationship and she had to keep her distance. The look of sadness on his face told her that he was upset, but she wasn't sure just how much. Booth had killed many men in the line of duty, but Howard Epps wasn't really Booth's responsibility. The man had tried to commit suicide and Booth had tried to save him. As far as Brennan was concerned, Epps' death was on Epps and no one else and she had told Booth so. Unfortunately, her words didn't seem to reach him and that made her feel like she had let him down.

After Booth had left the apartment, the remaining agents stayed long enough to get her statement then they left. Brennan had wanted Booth to stay, but he'd left before she'd had an opportunity to tell him. Once she was alone, she packed a bag with clothes and shoes and left her apartment.

Once she arrived at Booth's apartment, she found he wasn't there and that worried her. She wasn't really sure where to look for him and it made her sad that she didn't know him as well as she thought she should.

Not willing to just sit still while she waited for Booth to return to his apartment, Brennan washed a few loads of laundry and cleaned the apartment. Once that was done, she realized that it was after ten and still no signs of her boyfriend. Up until that moment, she had refrained from calling him because she'd wanted to give him space if he needed it, but her concern was growing and she was afraid he was too alone. Brennan tried to call him, but she was shunted to voice mail which just increased her anxiety. "Booth, this is Bones. Call me when you can. I don't want to intrude, but I'd like to know if you're alright."

Since there wasn't anything else she could do at the moment, Brennan took a bath and went to bed. She just hoped Booth was alright and that he would come home soon.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

He sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and stared at the reflecting pool before him. The night was chilly and the jacket he was wearing was barely keeping him warm. There were a few people on the steps taking pictures, but it was late enough that the place wasn't swamped with tourists.

Epps slipping from his hand, falling to his death filled his mind and with it the look of fear on Epps' face as he slowly slipped from Booth's hand. It made Booth feel sick. _He didn't have to die. He didn't have to die. He could have grabbed the railing, but he wanted to die. I didn't kill him. I didn't kill him. I didn't kill him._

Like a mantra running non-stop through his mind, Booth tried to believe those words. He had held the man's hand as long as he could didn't he? He wanted to save him didn't he? Epps wanted to die because he didn't want to go back on death row. How was that Booth's responsibility? _He was afraid to die, but he didn't want to live either. He just wanted me to feel guilty about his death. He knew that I'd blame myself, the mother fucker. Well, I don't feel guilty. I didn't kill him . . . Did I?_

Epps's body sprawled on the pavement below Brennan's balcony kept Booth's mind racing. The serial killer's body had broken when it hit the paving, the blood pooled from his head and body onto the cement beneath him which added more sickening images to remember, more nightmarish images that he'd probably never forget.

 _I didn't kill him. He killed himself._ Booths' phone rang and it startled him. His heart beating wildly, he pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and waited for it to stop ringing. A short moment later, he checked his voicemail, _Booth, this is Bones. Call me when you can. I don't want to intrude, but I'd like to know if you're alright._

Booth rubbed his forehead and debated what he should do. He didn't want to talk to anyone, but it wasn't fair of him to shut out his girlfriend either. He would be angry if their situation was reversed and he knew it. Slowly, he stood up and made his way down the steps. _This isn't Bones' fault. Time to go home._

ooooooooooooooooooo

The apartment was dark when he arrived, not a sound to be heard except for the heater running. He'd gone to Brennan's apartment after he'd left the Lincoln Memorial, but he'd found her gone. After checking every room, he realized that she'd probably gone to his apartment to look for him. Once he drove up to his apartment building, he found her car parked across the street and he knew she was there. As quietly as he could, he removed his shoes and carried them down the hallway. After he dropped them on the coffee table, he moved into his bedroom and saw his girlfriend sleeping on his bed. After he removed his shirt and pants, he moved onto the bed and pulled a blanket over his chilled body.

She felt the bed move and she knew he was home. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." Booth stared at the dark ceiling and wondered what he should say. She was clearly concerned for him, but he didn't know how to assure her that he was alright. He didn't feel alright. "I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep."

"I wasn't asleep." Brennan rolled onto her side and placed her hand on his hip. "You were upset and I wanted to give you space, but . . ."

He knew that she was trying to be there for him, but his need for space upset her and he knew he needed to fix that. "No, Bones, I appreciate that you called looking for me. I was over at the Lincoln Memorial and I kinda lost track of time. If you hadn't called me, I'd probably still be there freezing my ass off. Thanks."

She rubbed her hand in slow circles on his hip and tried to come up with the words that would help him, but she knew she didn't have any, just the words she had used earlier that evening. "Epps wanted to die, Booth. He tried to commit suicide. You tried to save him, but you couldn't have held onto his hand forever. He wanted to die. You did not kill him."

"It feels like I did." Booth knew that sounded pathetic, but it was how he felt. He'd had Epps in his hand and then he didn't. Did he give up and let him go or did Epps' weight get to be too much for him? Epps was a horrible excuse for a human being and he'd dared to approach his small son at the carousel. The man had murdered his ex-wife and removed her heart so he could mail it to Angela. Then he'd cut off Caroline Epps' head to continue his sick game. Epps had used that head to almost killed Cam, although Booth knew that his pushing his friend to hurry the autopsy was what exposed Cam to danger and for that he couldn't forgive himself. "This whole thing was fucked up . . . Epps was evil. He was evil and he didn't care how many people he killed while he was playing his games. The sad thing is, I played his game and almost got Cam killed and I may have killed him for it . . ."

"Booth." Brennan listened to every word coming from her boyfriend and she knew he was taking on too much responsibility for what had happened during their search for Epps. "Epps was the one to plant the poison in his wife's skull. If Cam had followed procedure she wouldn't have been harmed. Your pushing her to hurry the autopsy didn't mean she actually had to do that. If it had been me I wouldn't have forgone procedure. As for killing Epps, that doesn't make sense. He tried to commit suicide by jumping from the balcony. You tried to save him, but you couldn't, no one could. He had to make some effort to help you save him and he refused to do it. He wanted you to feel guilty when he died. He was being manipulative Booth. Up to the minute he died, he wanted to control his game and you were his final game piece. You did nothing wrong."

Her words made sense, but he still felt like he'd done something wrong. One minuted Epps was very much alive and the next minute he wasn't and the difference was Booth's hand. "It's okay, Bones. I get it. Go to sleep . . . thanks for being here. I didn't really want to be alone."

She could only hear sadness in his voice and she knew that she hadn't helped him. _I need to find a way to help him. He needs help._ "You're welcome Booth. If you want to talk then I'm here to listen."

"Thank you." Booth knew he wasn't going to get much sleep, but he needed to make sure that Brennan did. She was tired and having to deal with his mood wasn't going to help her get any. "I'm fine Bones. I really am. You helped me and I appreciate it. I really do."

Worried about his state of mind, Brennan snuggled against her boyfriend and placed her arm across his chest. "You aren't alone Booth. I love you."

"I love you too." Booth placed his arm around her and tried to relax. The image of Epps falling to his death running over and over in his mind. _Did I drop him or did he fall?_

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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	30. Chapter 30

(The Gator in the Girl)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

The last few days had been rough on Booth and Brennan. Booth hadn't really slept very much at night and his snarky answers to most questions directed at him weren't making him any friends during the day.

Brennan had tried to talk to her boyfriend about Epps, but he insisted that he was fine and the reason he couldn't sleep was bad dreams. He refused to discuss his dreams, but Brennan had heard him mutter in his sleep and she was sure that when he was sleeping his dreams were quite vivid and nightmarish.

As they left the Royal Diner on their way back to the Lab, Booth received a phone call that was interrupted by an ice cream truck cruising the street next to him. Brennan had witnessed her boyfriend and partner, draw his gun and in a fit of pique shoot the mechanical clown head on top of the truck. The truck owner had been terrified and abandoned his truck in the street while Booth stood staring at the damage he'd done.

Brennan knew that he'd discharged his gun in a non-professional manner and there would be very serious repercussions.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth couldn't believe his luck. He'd hadn't been fired, instead he'd been given desk duty and ordered to see a psychiatrist. Booth had half expected to be unemployed after he'd shot the truck, but he was grateful for the reprieve. On the other hand, he was a trained sniper and everyone involved should have known that no one had been remotely in danger when he'd lost it and shot the clowns head. He had tried to explain that the loudness of the music and been excruciating and after repeatedly telling the vendor to turn the music down he'd grown frustrated and taken the matter in to his own hands. Deputy Director Bishop suspected that Booth had been under too much stress lately and had ordered the psychiatric evaluation. If the evaluation proved that Booth was unfit for duty then he would be let go, in the meantime he had a job, but he had to do it from behind his desk.

"Look Bones, I'm sorry." Booth had been given his orders and now he had to break the news to his partner. "I made a mistake and now I have to go see a psychiatrist. In the meantime, Agent Tim Sullivan had been assigned to help you with the Florida case."

 _Booth, how much trouble are you in? Are you going to lose your job?_

 _God, I hope not. "_ Nah, I'm going to be fine." Booth sure hoped he was going to be fine. Shooting his gun in public at a vendor truck was probably one of the stupidest thing he'd ever done. "I just have to see the psychiatrist and get him to release me. Now take it easy on Sully. He's a good agent, but he's not used to working with geniuses like I am. Just be patient and you two should be okay."

 _I'm not happy working with someone else, but I will get by. Call me tonight Booth and tell me how your session went the psychiatrist._

"Sure Bones, I wish I was going with you to Florida, but . . . well, I'll talk to you tonight." The call ended, Booth pounded his fist on his desk a few times and tried to calm down. His anger issues were why he was in trouble and the last thing he needed was to make his situation worse.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Agent Tim Sullivan was immediately attracted to his temporary partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. She had been a little impatient with him, but Booth had warned him that she was a genius and she was not one to mull things over. She was blunt, but honest and Sully found that fascinating. He wasn't used to someone quite as honest as Brennan was and somehow that made her very attractive to him. He hoped that once the case was over, he even might find a way to get her to date him.

Brennan had found Sully to be fascinating, but she wasn't interested in him sexually. She was satisfied with her relationship with Booth and didn't think Sully was quite the man that Booth was. Her alpha male was in trouble right now, but she knew that no matter what happened with his career, she would support him. She had never loved anyone like she loved Booth and she would not jeopardize their relationship by having a dalliance with Sully no matter how interesting he was.

In the meantime, Booth visited Gordon Wyatt and was forced to come to grips with what he'd done when he'd discharged his weapon at an ice cream truck. He hadn't wanted to dwell too much on his motives, but the psychiatrist had forced him to. His fear that he'd dropped Epps on purpose had caused him to act out and Gordon had made him see that his fear was probably groundless.

"For a man like you to admit you don't know what happened, to relinquish control that could indeed argue in your self-view, that was large enough to motivate you to shoot a clown. This is a place from which we can certainly begin." Gordon smiled at the young agent. He'd read Booth's file and he knew about his background. He knew the agent had a tendency to try to control everything going on around him. It was why he had a tendency to take the blame when things went wrong. After Booth had cooked their steaks to perfection, Gordon cut into the medium rare steak and anticipated a wonderful meal. "You should keep in mind, Agent Booth that it isn't always possible to control your environment. There are times, when no matter how hard we try, no matter how well-meaning our motives are, tragedy will happen. It's part of life."

His steak resting on his plate, Booth held his knife and fork in each hand and dared to ask the question he needed to ask. "Is it possible I dropped him . . . on purpose?" The thought that he had murdered a man, made his stomach clench and he felt nauseous.

Gordon knew that Booth was still struggling and he knew that they would need to meet a few times to help the man come to grips with the root of his issues, but there was one thing he was certain of. All the witnesses had sworn that Booth had tried to save Epps and there was no way Booth was going to be able to do that since Epps hadn't tried to help save himself. "Epps wanted to die, but he wanted to control how it was done. When you grabbed him as he left the balcony you took control and Epps couldn't allow that to happen. He hung from your hand and he refused to try to grab the rails. He was determined to control how he died and if that control disturbed you in anyway then that was a plus for him. Epps was a game player. A sick game player, but he lived to control people's lives. In the end, he even tried to control your life. The answer to your question is, no, I don't think you dropped him, Epps fell."

The relief was so sudden, Booth felt light headed. "Okay." _Thank God. I'm not a murderer._

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

The case had been interesting, but Brennan was glad to be home. She had worried about Booth the entire time she'd worked on the case and was relieved when she entered his apartment and found him making homemade pizza. His cheerful greeting was a surprise, but Brennan was happy to see his smile. "How did it go with Dr. Wyatt?"

"It was good." Booth turned and continued to work on his pizza. As he sprinkled some shredded provolone over the sauce covered dough, Booth debated how much he wanted to tell his partner. "I . . . I talked to Gordon Gordon and he doesn't think I actually dropped Epps. I know you hate psychology, so I won't go into the why, but anyway I'm not going to shoot anymore ice cream trucks. I'm going to be fine."

He was right, she thought that psychology was nothing but guess work, but in this case, she was grateful that Dr. Wyatt had helped her boyfriend. She had actually been afraid for him and now she knew that he was going to be alright. As she watched him place mushroom slices on top of the pizza, Brennan leaned against the counter. "I'm glad . . . Sully is interesting. He seems to have had a lot of jobs."

"Yeah, Sully used to be an EMT before he joined the FBI. He makes furniture and he's talked about opening a sandwich shop." Booth finished with the mushrooms, sprinkled some black olives on next. "I think he's always kind of looking for something better."

"Well, he is a fine agent, but the way he was talking to me during the case, he might not stay with the FBI." Brennan pulled a bell pepper from the fridge, sliced it into thin slices and handed them to Booth to add to the pizza.

Not really surprised about Sully, Booth scattered the bell pepper on top of the pie and stared at it. "That's too bad, I guess . . . want anything else on the pizza? I'm not going to add meat."

"Green olives, maybe some onion?" Brennan appreciated that Booth was making the whole pie vegetarian.

Pointing at the fridge, Booth smiled. "Sure get the olives and I'll slice up an onion." Once that was taken care of, Booth slid the pie on to a hot flat stone he had in the heated oven and closed the door. With nothing else to do, Booth moved closer to his girlfriend, leaned over and kissed her. "I still have to see Gordon Gordon a few times. He's cleared me to work in the field again, but I guess he wants to make sure I'm not going to go psycho and kill someone the next time I lose my temper."

Brennan placed her arms around her boyfriend and rested her head on his shoulder. "You're not psycho, Booth. You would never deliberately hurt or kill anyone. That isn't who you are no matter how upset you are. I think talking to Gordon is a waste of time, but if it's required then you must do it. I think you shot the truck because the music was too loud and you just became impatient. You do need to work on that, Booth. You do tend to be impatient when things aren't going well. Besides that, there is nothing wrong with you."

Both happy that Brennan saw him as normal and not a nut and annoyed that she thought he was impatient, Booth placed his arms around her and leaned his chin on her head. "Maybe, but sometimes the bullshit gets deep and a guy just loses patience that's all. I will try not to shoot at trucks in the future though. All that does is get a fella in to trouble and I can do without that."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	31. Chapter 31

(The Man in the Mansion)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

She entered the bedroom and stopped in her tracks. "What is that?"

Slowly knotting his tie, Booth looked up. "What's what?"

"Your tie." A little shocked at the solid black tie Booth had around his neck, Brennan stepped further into the room. "Your tie is staid and boring. It looks like J. Edgar Hoover picked it out and where is your cocky belt buckle?"

A little embarrassed, Booth finished knotting his tie and slipped his suit coat on. "Okay, look. It's something I'm supposed to be working on. You know I'm in therapy . . . well, Gordon Gordon says that wild socks and fancy ties are just quiet rebellions helping me suppress other impulses."

Not sure she cared for this explanation, Brennan shook her head. "Isn't that a good thing?" Concerned about what was going on, she stepped closer and touched his drab tie. "Why are you still in therapy? I don't think these changes are necessary."

"You'd think so, right?" Booth sighed and placed his right hand over her hand. "Apparently I have issues that are being suppressed and I need them to rise to the top. Whatever the hell that's supposed to mean."

Brennan distrusted psychiatry and she was certain that making Booth change who he was, was not useful in the least. "I don't think I care for these changes, Booth."

"I don't either, but the FBI is making me see Gordon Gordon." Glancing down at his tie, Booth sighed once more. "If I don't do what he says, they can fire me. It's as simple as that. Let's see what happens. Who knows, maybe I do have issues that I need to resolve although I think it's a load of horse shit."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The one thing that everyone around Booth noticed after his change in wardrobe style was the fact that his short temper had got much shorter. He knew he was more impatient, but he couldn't seem to fix the problem. He felt like a stick of dynamite waiting to go off and he hated that feeling. He complained to Brennan about little things she had no control over and abandoned Hodgins at the home of the murder victim when he found out that Hodgins had hidden the fact that he and the murder victim's wife had been engaged in the past.

Booth had been so angry at the entomologist that he had been afraid to have Hodgins ride back with him to the Lab. His temper was hot and he felt almost out of control and that was definitely not a good thing.

The case was bothering him along with everything else. A poor child had been murdered, but he was supposed to prioritize the investigation of the murder of a very wealthy man. The child's case meant more to him and he worked on both cases at the same time since he felt they were related.

Adding to Booth's problems, Special Agent Timothy Sullivan was trying to get Brennan to date him and his constantly appearing at Brennan's office was starting to anger Booth. "Tell him you're not interested in him." Booth sat on the couch in Brennan's office and tried to remain calm. "He's not going to give up unless you tell him to leave you alone. I can't do it. You have to do it."

Annoyed at Booth's demands, Brennan remained seated at her desk. "I have told him that I am not currently dating at this time. I would think that would be sufficient, but it appears he doesn't consider that a reasonable excuse not to date him. I can't tell him we're together, so I'm not sure what else I can do."

His impatience growing, Booth stood up and started to pace. "You have tell him that you aren't interested in him. Be blunt, that's what you do best, be blunt. Just tell him to fuck off."

A little shocked, Brennan glared at her boyfriend and tried to remain calm. One of them needed to. "I don't use language like that Booth. It's unnecessary. I will tell him once more that I am not interested in dating him. Perhaps I will also mention that his persistence could be interpreted as harassment. I would hate to do that since Sully is actually very nice and he means no harm, otherwise I am at a loss as to how to make him stop asking me for dates."

Her tone of voice told him that he had crossed a line he shouldn't have and that he needed to stop the conversation. "I'm sorry Bones, I shouldn't have said that. It's just . . . . I don't know what's wrong with me . . . I just . . ." Not sure how to explain what was going on, he glanced at his watch and then moved towards the door. "I have to go, I have an appointment with Gordon Gordon and if I'm late he'll just say I'm acting out or some shit like that."

After he was gone, Brennan stared at the empty couch and decided that if Dr. Gordon Wyatt didn't stop meddling with Booth, she might have something to say about it. The changes in Booth were not acceptable and his temper was worse than it was before he starting seeing the psychiatrist.

Ooooooooooooooooo

Timothy Sullivan entered the Royal Diner and noticed Brennan sitting in the back. Moving down the aisle, he stopped at her table and smiled at her. "Tempe imagine running into you here."

Her patience running out, Brennan placed her fork down firmly on the table and looked at her would be paramour. "Are you following me?"

A little astonished at the question, Tim sat down across from Brennan and crossed his arms. "No of course not. I came in for some chili. They make the best chili in town. What's going on? Are you mad at me? Why?"

Brennan realized that Sully didn't deserve the way she was treating him. He was merely trying to date her and he had no idea she was already in a relationship. She really hated the fact that she and Booth were keeping their relationship a guarded secret. It was inconvenient and it caused unnecessary anxiety. "No I'm not angry with you . . . Sully I have been quite clear that I don't want to date you. You're a nice man, a very nice man, but I cannot date you. I am seeing someone else."

Surprised at her revelation, Sully nodded his head. "Okay, I understand. You should have told me that before now. I wouldn't have been pestering you if I'd known that. Booth didn't mention it."

Grateful that Sully was being so understanding, Brennan smiled and picked up her fork. "My private life is private. I appreciate your interest in me and if I weren't seeing someone else I would certainly not hesitate in having a relationship with you. I should have been more forthright, but I thought I could discourage you and not have to reveal my involvement with someone else. Please don't mention to anyone that I'm dating someone. I don't want anyone to interfere in my private life."

Disappointed that she was dating someone else, Sully had no choice but to accept it. "Sure, not a problem. Too bad you're seeing someone else. You don't know what you're missing. I'm a pretty good date and I make a really good boyfriend."

Amused with Sully's wiggling eyebrows and his charming smile, Brennan returned his smile. "I'm sure you are . . . would you like to join me for lunch? We can still be friends can't we?"

"Of course." Sully had hoped to have something more with Brennan, but friendship was a nice consolation prize. "Like I said this place has the best chili."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Tired of seeing a psychiatrist, Booth wanted his life back. "Why are we still meeting?"

Gordon could see the rebellion on Booth's face, but he needed the man to cooperate with him if he was going to get to the bottom of Booth's problems. "Because you discharged your weapon at an ice cream truck. My provisional certification of your mental health only holds as long as you continue to meet with me."

Frustrated with the answer, Booth leaned back against his chair. "Great! For how long?"

"Till I'm satisfied that you won't start firing at confectioners again." Gordon stared at the tense way Booth was sitting and he knew that the agent was angry and very unhappy. "What's your objection to therapy?"

"I don't have anything to hide." Booth crossed his arms and shook his head. "You've read my file, you know who I am. I don't need this. I just lost my temper and took it out on a mechanical clown. I'm not going to do that again. I learned my lesson besides no one was ever in any danger. I only hit what I aim at."

Not willing to release Booth from therapy, Gordon shook his head. "But I have to make sure Agent Booth. Why don't we talk about your case for now? I am a trained forensic psychiatrist."

His case not going as well as he'd like, Booth explained about the murdered rich guy and an at-risk youth. The connection was heroin and he blamed the rich man for the death of the child. The boy had been a mule for some drug dealers and Terry Bancroft, a rich man with more money than sense, had taken the drugs from the boy. Now they were both dead.

After a brief conversation Booth explained how he hated that the boy had died because Terry had confiscated the drugs from him and hadn't turned them into the police in time. That delay had made the owners of the drugs angry and they had killed the child trying to find out where the drugs were. Now both the millionaire was dead as well as the boy and it was definitely Terry Bancroft's fault.

Booth's animosity towards Terry was blatant and fascinating to Gordon. "So is there a chance that you'd rather catch the boy's murderer than the wealthy fellow's murderer, so you have decided that they're one and the same? Any chance that you've based this assumption purely on your bias against rich, entitled people? Hm?"

His exasperation rising to the top, Booth leaned towards the psychiatrist and glared at him. "You know what? I did the belt buckle. I did the tie. I did the socks. What else do you want from me?"

"What would you say if I told you that my name actually is Gordon Gordon Wyatt? That my first and middle names are the same?" Gordon waited to see how Booth would respond and the man surprised him.

"I got work to do." Booth stood up and shook his head. "I'm not really a toy that you should play with Doc."

Once Booth was gone, Gordon leaned back against his chair and smiled.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The case over, Booth met Brennan at her apartment where they planned to spend the evening. The case had been arduous and they were both glad it was over. Booth entered the apartment and surprised Brennan with a bottle of wine and a passionate kiss. "I'm sorry I've been a pain in the butt lately. I . . . I think I have it under control now."

Their kiss had been pleasing and Brennan liked that Booth was in a better mood. "Thank you for the wine and the kiss." Brennan studied Booth's demeanor and noticed a few changes in his wardrobe. "Your bright ties are back as well at the cocky belt buckle."

Pleased that she'd noticed, Booth pulled up his pant legs and grinned. "The socks are back too. I talked to Gordon Gordon while you guys were trying to find new evidence to use against Robert Frazier at the trial. He told me that the socks, the tie, the belt buckle are all escape valves for my socioeconomic rage."

Her nose wrinkled at her declaration. "I hate psychology."

Booth knew that she wouldn't understand, but he thought he needed to explain it further. "They help me deal with the day-to-day irritations of dealing with people that are more privileged than me. At least that's what Gordon Gordon says."

Still not certain she liked Gordon Wyatt tinkering with Booth, Brennan sighed and shook her head. "Well, you do seem less tense . . . I talked to Sully and I told him I was seeing someone. I didn't divulge who, but he now understands why he should discontinue pursuing me as a sexual partner."

Glad to hear the news, Booth took the wine bottle and carried it into the kitchen in search of a cork screw. "Great. As long as he doesn't know it's me then great. I was getting tired of his hanging around trying to find a way to get you into his bed. You belong in my bed or I belong in your bed . . . you know what I mean."

While Booth uncorked the bottle, Brennan retrieved two glasses. "Oh yes, I know what you mean and you're right. I did tell him that if I wasn't seeing someone then I wouldn't hesitate to become involved with him. He seems to be a suitable candidate for a sexual liaison, but I am more than satisfied with you."

Not sure how to take what she had just said, Booth decided to ignore it. Somethings were just better left alone.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	32. Chapter 32

(The Boneless Bride in the River)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The pounding on the door was so loud it should have been enough to wake up the dead, if the dead could be awakened. Brennan groaned, rolled over and pushed on Booth's back. "Booth someone is at the door. Go see who it is and make them leave."

Comfortable lying on his stomach, Booth turned his head to face the wall. "No . . . if you want to know who's at the door you go."

Irritated, Brennan pushed on Booth's shoulder. "This is your apartment not mine. Go tell whoever is at the door to go away."

Moaning, Booth rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Damn it." Using his right foot, he pulled his boxers over towards him and as soon as they were close enough, he leaned over and grabbed them from the floor. "We're on vacation damn it . . . This better be important." Slowly standing up, the sting of pain swept through his feet and up his legs causing him to grit his teeth. Once the pain eased a little, he hobbled out of the bedroom, through the living room and down the hallway. Once he was there the pounding on the door seemed to intensify. Furious that his vacation was being disturbed, he unlocked the door and yanked it open.

Not sure why Sully was standing in his doorway, Booth glared at the man and tried to control his temper. He failed. "What the fuck do you want? I'm on vacation and it's nine in the morning."

Taking in the disheveled look and the lack of clothes, Sully stared at Booth's candy apple red boxers. "Man when you go on vacation you go on vacation."

Not amused, Booth tried to slam the door closed only to have Sully block it with his hand. "Whoa partner. I need to talk to you. It won't take long."

Tired, Booth nodded his head and leaned against the wall. "Talk and leave."

Amused at how tired Booth looked, Sully pointed at the floor near Booth's feet. "Can I come in?" A shake of Booth's head and Sully shrugged his shoulders. "Fine. I'm looking for Brennan. I know you two are on vacation, but I have a weird ass case and I need her help. I was hoping you'd know where she is."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Booth thought about it and nodded his head. "Yeah, I know where she is. I'll call her in a little while and ask her to call you . . . Is that it?"

"Yeah, thanks." Sully tried to ask Booth why he hadn't gone somewhere for his vacation, but before he could utter a word, Booth pushed him away from the door further into the hallway and slammed the door. "I see you still have that sunny morning disposition." Anxious that Booth call Brennan, Sully raised his voice and shouted. "Call her Booth." That done, he walked over to the elevator and waited for the car to arrive. Hopefully Brennan would call him soon.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

After he returned to the bedroom, Booth grabbed Brennan's phone from her charger, slid back into bed and placed the phone on her stomach. "Call Sully."

Reluctant to open her eyes, Brennan shook her head. "I'm on vacation."

Rolling back onto his side, Booth closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. They'd had a long night together enjoying each other and neither of them had gone to sleep until after six that morning. "He'll be back if you don't call him."

His logic sound, Brennan opened her eyes, made the call and tried to sound alert when Sully answered his phone. "Booth says you're looking for me. I am on vacation."

 _I know, but I have this case and it's so weird. Cam could use your help identifying the body. If you'd just come in and help her for an hour or so, I'd really appreciate it . . . Please._

"I'm actually busy right now." Brennan yawned and tried to remain alert. "I will come in around noon, but I will only stay for an hour at the most. I am entitled to vacation time."

 _Thanks Tempe. You're a real life saver._

Abruptly ending the call, Brennan yawned once more. "I have to go into the Lab at noon."

An exhausted Booth was asleep and did not respond to his girlfriend. Irritated, Brennan dropped the phone on the nightstand, rolled over and went back to sleep.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Once she had looked at the knee cap of the victim, Brennan determined that the almost boneless body belonged to a female of Asian descent and in her early 20's. The one bone left in the body suggested that she had suffered from Fong's disease and may have grown up in a non-industrial rural environment. After she recommended that Zach do an osteological profile, she left to return to Booth and her vacation.

When she arrived at Booth's apartment, she found him still asleep. Carrying a pizza box into the bedroom, Brennan removed her slacks and blouse and sat on the bed, her back against the headboard. After she removed a slice of pizza from the box, she waved the slice over Booth's nose, dropping a black olive on his cheek.

Startled, Booth opened his eyes and wiped his hand across his cheek knocking the olive onto his chest. "What the hell?" Removing the olive from where it had landed, he picked it up, inspected and popped it into his mouth. "Okay, I'm awake." Hungry, Booth sat up and leaned against the headboard, his shoulder almost touching his girlfriend's shoulder. "Got some pizza for me?"

Her mouth full, Brennan handed the pizza box to Booth and watched him attack a slice of pizza taking big bites. Once her bite was gone, Brennan smiled. "I don't know why they called me in. Zach could have taken care of it . . . I have another pizza on the dining room table."

Hungry, Booth grabbed another slice and inspected it. "No meat?"

"No." Brennan pulled the box from his hand and took a smaller slice. "When you buy pizza you can get one with meat. I bought the pizza, so no animal by-products."

Since he was so hungry, Booth chose to overlook the lack of pepperoni. "That's okay. I'm so hungry I could eat tofu . . . well maybe not tofu, but those vegetable spring rolls you like anyway."

Her hunger now gone, Brennan debated whether or not to eat another slice. "Maybe we should leave before someone comes back here looking for you or me. While I've enjoyed our vacation so far, we don't have to spend it here and I'd rather not be called back in if I can help it."

Swallowing his bite of pizza, Booth picked up a third slice. "Fine by me. As soon as we finish eating, let's pack a couple of bags and make a run for it. Maybe we can drive up to Philly and see Pops."

Brennan removed a slice of pizza from the box and picked up a stray piece of onion that had fallen on her thigh. "Alright. We can take our leftover pizza with us."

Oooooooooooooooooo

Surprised to see his grandson standing on his porch, Hank Booth stepped through the doorway and pulled the younger man into a hug. "Seeley, this is a surprise."

Booth was glad to see that his grandfather appeared to be healthy. He worried about the old man and often wondered how long his grandfather could continue to live by himself. "Looking good, Pops."

Aware that a woman was standing on the top step of the porch, Hank released his grandson and stepped around him. "I bet you're Temperance." As she stepped up onto the porch, Hank placed his arms around her and gave her a welcoming hug.

Not comfortable with strangers touching her, Brennan allowed the old man to hug her, touching his sides and then letting them go. "I'm glad to finally meet you Mr. Booth."

"Oh no, Honey." Hank stood back and shook his head. "Call me Hank or Pops, whatever makes you comfortable."

Feeling a little shy, Brennan nodded her head. "You have a nice home, Hank."

Proud of his house and the neighborhood he lived in, Hank beamed at Brennan. "Come on you two, grab your bags and bring them in. I was just getting ready to cook dinner. I was going to make some biscuits and gravy."

"Pops, Bones is a vegetarian." Booth glanced at Brennan and smiled. "We can cook dinner if you'd like."

"I would not like." Hank huffed and he led his guests to the kitchen. "I can make the gravy without sausage. It won't hurt me to eat a meal without meat. Now drop your bags and come on."

Booth took Brennan's bag and placed it and his bag near the staircase leading up stairs and followed his grandfather into the kitchen.

Concerned that they might be a burden, Brennan entered the kitchen and noticed how neat and clean it was. "I hope you don't mind us coming without calling you first. Booth thought you wouldn't mind."

"I don't." Hank pulled the box of Bisquick from the cabinet and retrieved the milk from the fridge. "You two can stay as long as you like. The more the merrier I always say."

Booth found the container for the flour and took a skillet from the cabinet next to the stove. "I'll make the gravy Pops while you make the biscuits."

"Make sure you don't burn it then." Hank removed a mixing bowl from the cabinet over the sink. "You know I hate burnt gravy." Quickly, the old man measured and poured some Bisquick mix and milk into the bowl, preparing his biscuit batter.

"I won't burn it Pops." Booth winked at Brennan and pointed at the kitchen table. "Take a load off Bones. We'll have dinner ready in no time."

Fascinated with the synchronized way the two men moved around the room, never bumping in each other, she knew that they had cooked together many times. "Thank you. I'm looking forward to tasting it."

A little surprised, Hank turned to stare at Brennan while he stirred his batter. "Haven't you ever eaten biscuits and gravy?"

"No I haven't." Brennan smiled at the sad look on the old man's face. "Booth has been cooking various meals for me that he considers comfort food, but he hasn't made this dish yet."

Hank nudged his grandson and shook his head. "Boy that was probably one of the first things you should have shown her. My goodness, your grandmother loved biscuits and gravy."

"I know Pops." Amused, Booth poured a little oil in the skillet and waited for it to heat up. "I was going to get to it. She likes my pancakes, so I've cooked a lot of those. She makes a great Macaroni and Cheese Pops. It's really the best. Lots of cheese."

Hank turned and flashed a grin at his guest. "Well, I'll have to get you to make that for me. If you don't mind."

"Oh I don't mind at all." Brennan loved the fact that Hank was welcoming her so quickly. She had been afraid that he might reject her since he knew nothing about her and she was a little awkward in social settings. "Thank you for inviting me into your home."

Before he shaped his biscuits for the baking sheet, Hank walked over and took Brennan's hand in his hand. "You're family Honey. Of course you're welcome."

Proud and happy that his grandfather was being so kind to his girlfriend, Booth winked at Brennan and turned to pour some flour in the hot grease. Once he had a roux, he poured in the milk and sprinkled it with black pepper. A feeling of happiness washed over Booth and he felt like he was finally getting past his problems or at least some of them. He'd just needed to come see his Pops with his partner. Life was finally starting to look up.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	33. Chapter 33

(The Boneless Bride in the River)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

While Brennan made a trip to the store for some items she needed to make rice pilaf, Booth sat on the front porch with his grandfather waiting for her to come back. The street was quiet with little road traffic which was just the way Booth liked it.

Hank knew that something was wrong with his grandson, but he wasn't sure if he should mention it. Booth had been through some serious trouble spots in his life and Hank knew the signs by now. Afraid his boys' PTSD was rearing its ugly head again, Hank decided to see if he could help him. "I noticed that you're kind of tense and serious right now. Is something wrong? Can I help?"

One of the reasons he'd wanted to come see his grandfather was because he needed someone to talk to that really knew him. He loved Brennan, but she didn't know him as well as his grandfather did. _That's my fault. I need to talk to her more about me I guess instead of just changing the subject._ "I shot an ice cream truck . . . well, the mechanical clown on top of the truck."

"For God's sake why?" Hank was shocked and now he was really starting to worry that his grandson was in serious trouble. "Are you still with the FBI? They didn't fire you did they?"

He hadn't meant to be that abrupt with what had happened and now he knew that his grandfather was upset. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ "No . . . They didn't fire me. I just . . . I couldn't save someone from committing suicide and I guess I blamed myself. At least that's what my psychiatrist says. He said I have control issues . . . and other stuff . . . anyway, no one was in danger. I hit what I shoot you know that. It's just the vendor was playing music really loud and I was on the phone and I couldn't hear and I couldn't think and I wanted the music to stop and he wouldn't stop it . . . I stopped it . . . The Deputy Director is making me get therapy . . . I'm okay though, I think I am anyway." Booth shook his head and chuckled. "Bones hates psychology, she just thinks I'm impatient and that's why I shot the clown." Suddenly sober, the younger man stared at the lilac bush next to the porch. "I shouldn't have shot the clown, it's caused me nothing but trouble since I did it."

His mind racing, Hank knew that his grandson probably needed the help he was getting. Booth had seen psychiatrists after he'd been rescued from the Republican Guard and while he'd had numerous surgeries to fix his feet. "Watching someone die, it's a hard thing to do. You know I've been through that and it changes a man."

"Well this man deserved to die." Booth continued to stare at the lilac bush. He felt it made it easier to talk to his grandfather if he didn't see the old man's reactions. "Howard Epps was a serial killer. He killed several young women and his wife. The man cut his wife's head off and . . . you don't need to hear about that . . . He was going to kill Bones and Bones and me stopped him . . . he tried to jump from the balcony because he didn't want to go back to prison and I grabbed him . . . I held on as long as I could, but he wouldn't help me . . . he just hung from my hand, talking trash . . . he fell." He could still see Epps lying on the cement blood pooling around his body. It made him sick and he had to stop obsessing over it. "Dr. Wyatt says Epps was trying to control his death and he wanted to punish me for trying to control his life by saving him . . . I believe it, but still . . . I see him and his blood . . ."

Hank heard the pain in his grandson's voice and he knew that Booth might not blame himself, but that death was still controlling him. "Son, we don't always have control over the things that go on around us. You know that. You've been in battle. It's chaos. It's always been chaos and you know no matter how much you try to control what happens, most of the time, there is nothing to control. You have to let that kind of thing go. Epps wanted to die and he died. He was responsible for his own death. You tried to save him and you couldn't. If you think about it, you never had control of that situation to begin with. The minute he jumped from the balcony, he had control. He wanted to die and he took control and he died. Sure, it's tough you couldn't save him, but you tried and that's all you could do."

Booth listened intently to the words of his grandfather and he knew that the old man made sense. He just needed to accept it. "Dr. Wyatt says I have socio-economic rage. He says I hate rich people because I think they use their privilege to get away with shit."

A snort escaping from his, Hank nodded his head. "That's not rage, it's the damn truth. There are two sets of rules in this country. One for the rich and one for the rest of us. What you have to do is deal with it when it affects you and just ignore it when it doesn't. It's like Epps' suicide. We don't have control over stuff like that. We never have. We just have to do what we think is right and hope it all works out in the end."

His gaze shifting towards his grandfather, Booth smiled. "Right? I knew that Dr. Wyatt was full of shit about that rich people stuff . . . he says I wear fancy ties and crazy socks as a release valve. They help me cope with my rage."

Hank shook his head and wondered what Dr. Wyatt had been doing to his boy. "Look Son, Dr. Wyatt might have been right about Epps and his controlling things, but you wear nice ties and crazy socks because you like them. There doesn't have to be any complex reasons behind it. You know Temperance is right about you being impatient though. I think you should work on that and just ignore that other mumbo jumbo socio-economic crap thing. You grew up poor and when I took you in . . . well we were lower middle class so still poor . . . you did okay. You went to school, you served in the army. You got your degree in Criminology. You're in the FBI. You aren't that poor kid anymore. You're doing okay and so is Jared and I'm not doing too badly either. You're going to get through this mess because you always do. It's who you are."

The explanations made sense and made Booth glad that his grandfather understood him so well. "Yeah . . . I am impatient. I should work on that. Thanks Pops. I knew you'd know what was really wrong with me. No one knows me like you do . . . and I guess Bones." The feeling of pressure that had been sitting between his eyes for the last few weeks seemed to ease up. "I'm going to go for a walk. You want to come?"

Comfortable where he was, Hank smiled and shook his head. "No, I'm going to sit right here and enjoy the fine weather. You go ahead. Take your time. I'll help Temperance with lunch when she gets back. I hope she remembered to buy beer."

Booth stood up and stretched. "She won't forget. I just hope she buys real beer and not that fancy crap she likes. It tastes like ear wax."

"Yummy." Hank curled his lips. "I can always drive to the store later."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

After she got back from the store, Brennan placed her purchases in the kitchen and decided to prepare lunch. Hank came in to the kitchen and moved over to the counter. "Just tell me what you need Honey and I'll help. Seeley went for a walk." His conversation with his grandson on his mind, Hank leaned against the counter. "Seeley told me about shooting at an ice cream truck."

As she silently took her purchases out of the bags and placed them on the counter, Brennan debated how much to say about Booth. Handing the old man two six packs of Coors beer, Brennan made her decision. "Booth took Epps' death very hard. Not that he didn't want the man to die, he did. He just wanted him to die in prison. At first he seemed to blame himself for Epps' death which was ridiculous. He couldn't hold onto Epps' hand forever. Epps wanted to die his way and he did. I think that combined with Booth's impatience caused him to shoot the mechanical clown on the truck. Booth needs to learn to be more patient . . . The Deputy Director is making him see a psychiatrist." Brennan took the now empty bags and placed them in a bin Hank used for recycling. "I don't think the psychiatrist is helping Booth that much. He did help him accept that he didn't kill Epps, but he made Booth stop wearing loud ties and socks and his cocky belt buckle. That just seemed to increase Booth's impatience and Dr. Gordon relented. I don't trust psychiatry. It's a soft science and involves a lot of guessing. Dr. Wyatt guessed right about Epps and wrong about Booth's wardrobe."

Hank had seen the difference psychiatric help could make in someone's life so he didn't mistrust it like Brennan did. His grandson had been tortured while he was in the hands of the Republican Guard in Iraq and it had taken a lot of sessions with a psychiatrist to calm his anger. His grandson had survived what had been done to him during the war just like he'd survived what had happened to him as a child. His boy had a lot of inner strength, but he needed to talk things out with people he trusted. He needed to put things in perspective and Hank knew that Booth couldn't always do that by himself. "Seeley was in real bad shape during Operations Desert Storm after he was rescued . . . you know about the torture?"

Grimly, Brennan nodded her head. "I've seen his x-rays. I know about his being abused as a child too."

Embarrassed that his son Edwin had treated his own children so badly, Hank blushed but chose to continue the conversation. "Yeah, that too. I think that child abuse added to what was done to him in Iraq made him . . . I don't know, angry might not be the right word. He was mad at the world I guess, filled with rage. He thought God had turned his back on him, but after he talked it out with a psychiatrist and also with a priest that was working at Walter Reed . . . Seeley accepted what happened to him and he moved on. Seeley thinks with his heart and sometimes he gets into trouble because of it."

"You think with your brain not your heart." Brennan searched the cabinets for pots and placed two on the stove top. When Hank didn't respond, she turned to look at him and spied a smirk on his face. "Too literal?"

Amused, Hank chuckled. "A little bit . . . Seeley has these deep feelings and sometimes he just bottles it up inside until he explodes . . . You know I'm glad you two got together. He loves you very much."

It was her turn to blush and Brennan felt the heat in her cheeks increase. "Yes, he tells me he loves me every day. I've never known anyone like him before . . . I love him too."

"I'm glad." Hank patted Brennan on the arm. "Love helps make things better even when things are going wrong. Now, tell what to do and let's get lunch started. If I know my boy, he's going to be hungry when he gets back home."

Ooooooooooooooooo

Entering the house, Booth smelled something delicious in the air and laughed when his stomach rumbled. Moving across the living room, he stood in the doorway of the kitchen and held his left hand behind his back. "Wow, it smells good in here."

Brennan turned from the stove and smiled at her boyfriend. "Hank said you'd be hungry when you got back. He's in the laundry room sorting his clothes for the washing machine."

Taking advantage of the absence of his grandfather, Booth strode across the room and kissed his girlfriend. Their kiss growing deep, the sound of a clearing throat separated them. A quick glance at Hank standing in the doorway leading to the laundry room told Booth that his grandfather was amused. Moving his left hand, he presented Brennan with a posy of flowers.

"What's this?' Brennan took the flowers and held them against her nose. "You didn't have to bring me flowers."

"I know." Booth lifted the lid to see what Brennan was cooking. "I just wanted to give them to you."

Trying to be helpful, Hank entered the room, removed a vase from a cabinet and handed it to Brennan. "Seeley used to bring his grandmother a flower or two every week when he was a boy. She loved them and kept this vase for them."

The vase a pretty light green glass, Brennan took the vase, filled it with water and placed the flowers in it. "Thank you. They're lovely."

Pleased she liked them, Booth took the vase from her and placed it on the kitchen table. "I should bring you flowers more often."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	34. Chapter 34

(The Killer in the Concrete)

Thank you for reviewing my story. It is the only way I can tell if you are interested in it.

I really don't own Bones.

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Max was back in town and he'd tried several times to contact his daughter. Brennan first reported him to the police when he'd approached her in the cemetery while she was placing flowers on her mother's grave and the second time he'd broke into her apartment and waited for her to come home. That conversation was short because she wasn't willing to talk to him, but she knew he'd be back. Max seemed to be persistent.

After he arrived at Brennan's apartment, Booth found his girlfriend in the kitchen preparing dinner. "Hey, I thought it was my turn to cook tonight."

Her back towards Booth, Brennan placed her hands on the counter and stared at them. "Max broke in here and tried to talk to me."

Shocked that Max would risk arrest like that, Booth stepped into the living room and looked around.

When she heard him leave the room, Brennan realized that her boyfriend was assuming that Max was still in the apartment. "Booth, no . . . he's gone. I tried to call you, but he had an electronic jammer to keep me from calling the police or you."

Coming back into the room, Booth walked over to where she was standing and placed his hand on her arm. "Are you alright? What did he want?"

"I'm alright." Brennan leaned into Booth's chest and felt his arms encircle her. "I refused to talk to him. He said he has things he wishes to talk to me about, but I told him to leave . . . He's a murderer, Booth. Should I have tried to arrest him?"

Booth held her against his chest and tried to find a way to make things right for her. "No . . . maybe you should listen to what he has to say . . . I mean I know he abandoned you, but maybe he wants to tell you why or . . ."

Confused about her father's motives, Brennan pulled from Booth's embrace and crossed her arms against her breasts. "I don't really care why he abandoned me, Booth. He abandoned me when I was a child and a few weeks ago he murdered two men and abandoned me again, taking my brother with him. What he did is indefensible."

"Look Bones, I'm not trying to defend him." Booth stared at the tense way his girlfriend was staring at him and he knew he had to be very careful how he responded. "I'm on your side. I just think he has a side to the story and it would be nice to know what it is. He obviously has something he wants to say to you and he's willing to risk being arrested to say it."

Personal motives had always been a problem for Brennan. What motivated people to do certain things in a certain way seemed to elude her most of the time and she knew that Booth was very good at ferreting out motive. "What possible motive would he and my mother have had to just leave home and never come back? They left me with a brother who was only nineteen. Russ was too immature to take care of me . . . and I didn't want to talk to him or cooperate with him in any way. . . he didn't know what to do with me and he just abandoned me too . . . What motivates parents to run away from their children?"

"Well, your mother was killed by Vince McVikar . . . Max and Christine were on the run and I just think they didn't want to put you in jeopardy." Booth knew he should probably just shut up, but he wanted Brennan to see that there were many layers in Max's past and they were only seeing the top layer. "We know your parents were safety deposit robbers . . . they worked for a strong arm gang which never made sense to the FBI at the time . . . McVikar was a mechanic and when your parents bugged out on the gang, I guess McVikar decided to kill them if he ever found them."

"This is just speculation, Booth." Brennan was growing impatient. "The pieces of the puzzle can fit that way or they can be interpreted in many other ways. You're just guessing."

Trying to be as patient as he could be, Booth leaned against the fridge. He wanted to show that he was relaxed and not interested in arguing with her. "That's true. You're right. There are many possible reasons why your parents abandoned you, but you'll never know what that reason was if you don't at least listen to Max. Let him talk to you. If you don't like what you hear then at least you'll know why. Of course if I see him, you know I'm going to arrest him. He is wanted for murder and it's my duty to get him off the streets as soon as I see him. I know he's your father, but . . ."

"No, you have to arrest him if you can, I know that." And she did. She loved the fact that Booth was professional and that he wouldn't allow personal feeling to interfere in a case. Her father had murdered two men and he needed to be arrested as soon as possible. "I would expect nothing less from you. Max is a murderer and you must do your job."

Relieved that Brennan understood the situation, Booth straightened and pulled the fridge door open. Extracting two bottles of beer from the interior, he handed one to Brennan and opened the other one for himself. "Life is complicated. Your father is a bank robber and a murderer and my old man is a piece of shit. All we can do is just live our lives and try not to be like them."

Brennan snorted. "That won't be hard to do. I'm interested in capturing killers not being one." Brennan twisted the cap off of the bottle and sipped some of the cool liquid. Calmer now, Brennan smiled. "Go change clothes while I get our meal ready."

Carrying the bottle of beer with him, Booth moved out of the kitchen, across the living room and into their bedroom. After he placed the bottle down on the dresser, he removed his phone from his jacket pocket and called Caroline to let her know that Max was back in town.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Taking another risk, Max found his daughter at the Royal Diner. He had followed her about town for the last few days and he knew that she bought coffee from the Diner as well as lunch and the occasional breakfast. Often times she was with that partner of hers and Max had waited until Booth wasn't around. While he was following her, he had made a surprising discovery. His daughter and Booth were living together. They never seemed to show signs of affection towards each other in public, so after a few days of checking into things, he realized that their relationship was a secret. He wasn't sure why, but he was sure he didn't like it.

Not really surprised to see her father, Brennan placed her coffee cup down on the counter and turned her seat so she could face him. "Booth is gone. No one can find him."

"What does the FBI say?" Max didn't know what was going on, but his daughter was very upset and she obviously was asking him for his help. "Maybe he went undercover."

Brennan shook her head, leaned closer to her father and lowered her voice. "No Dad, he's gone. Kidnapped perhaps. He was working on a case and drove to Baltimore by himself. He was trying to track down Hugh Kennedy. He's a paid assassin who worked for Melvin Gallagher . . ."

"Tempe I know who Kennedy is and I know about Gallagher." This whole thing was very bad as far as Max was concerned. "Booth should have taken back up with him."

"I'm normally his backup, but I was in the Lab working on some evidence and he didn't want to wait for me to finish." Brennan was trying to remain calm, but she knew she was barely under control. "I'm worried. If everything was alright he would have called me by now. The FBI admits he's missing, but that is all they will tell me. I'm not a relative . . . Dad I need to find him."

The fear in her voice was obvious and he knew he had no choice but to try and find Booth for her. He hoped that if he was successful, she would finally let him talk to her about private things that needed to be said. "I'll help. We'll get him back, Tempe. I promise."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

True to his word, Max helped Brennan find Booth. It was a close call, but with the help of Hodgins, Angela, Cam and Zach they had located the FBI Agent before he'd been killed by Gallagher's man Lightner. Clark Lightner was trying to extract information from Booth and the FBI Agent had known that if he'd talked they would have killed him immediately. He'd taken all of the abuse they have given him and stoically waited for Brennan and the squints to find him.

Once Booth was released from the hospital, Brennan took him home to his apartment. "Booth you have burns on your right leg, contusions on your torso, legs and face. You also have two cracked ribs. You must take tomorrow off and recuperate."

Settled on the bed in his bedroom, Booth tried to assure her. "Come on Bones. I've had a lot worse done to me. Those guys were amateurs. I knew I could hold out until you found me."

With nervous energy, Brennan began to pace the room. "Dad helped me, Booth. You saw him with me. He helped me find you . . . I needed help. The FBI wouldn't tell me anything about your disappearance and what they were doing to find you. They told me I'm not a relative so they couldn't give me any information about the search for you." Moving over to the bed, she sat down on the edge of the mattress. "Booth we need to announce that we are in a relationship. I don't want to be kept in the dark about you in the future. We're a monogamous couple and I have a right to know if something has happened to you."

"You're right." Booth moved to pick up her hand and sucked in his breath. His cracked ribs were giving him trouble every time he moved, but he needed to reassure her that she was right. "I'll make an appointment with the Assistant Deputy Director and let him know. If they break up our partnership then so be it. I won't let them treat you like that again. Okay? You can tell Cam as soon as I let the FBI know."

"Do you think they'll break up our partnership?" Brennan swallowed. "I . . . I don't want to lose you as a partner, Booth."

He knew she was afraid he might leave her if their working relationship was destroyed, but there was no way in hell that was going to happen. "Listen to me, Bones . . . I love you. If they're so shortsighted that they do break up our partnership, well that's their problem. I am not leaving you. We are not breaking up our relationship. I told you before I will not walk away from you and I mean it. Sure I love working with you, but I love living with you a lot more. You're my world and I will not abandon you. Understand? We're a couple and we're going to stay a couple. Okay?"

Relieved to hear his words of assurance, Brennan smiled. It was a sad smile, but a smile none the less. "I love you Booth."

"I know you do, Bones." Booth pulled her hand up and kissed the tips of her fingers. "If I didn't have some cracked ribs, I'd be showing you right now just how much I love you. We're going to be fine no matter what happens. Okay?"

"Okay." Brennan moved her hand from his grasp, leaned forward and kissed him. "You will not go into dangerous situations without backup ever again. I told you, you are too impatient and you are. First you shoot a mechanical clown and now you've been kidnapped. No more, Booth. You will learn patience."

Amused, Booth nodded his head solemnly, careful not to let her see just how amused he was. "Yes Ma'am. I'll work on that as soon as possible."

"See that you do." Brennan was serious and she meant what she said. "You are not allowed to die."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	35. Chapter 35

(Spaceman in a Crater)

A/N: I updated chapter 34 last week, but due to FFN having serious problems, no emails went out letting anyone know it was available. I highly recommend that you go back and read chapter 34 before you read this chaper. FFN was broke for over a week and several of my stories were updated during that time.

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Assistant Deputy Director Triche stared at Booth and knew that they'd both have to see Deputy Director Bishop as soon as possible. "There is a no fraternization rule, Booth. You know that."

Since he was already committed on this course of action, Booth shrugged his shoulders. "Yes Sir, I do, but Dr. Brennan doesn't work for the FBI. She's a contracted employee. She works for the Jeffersonian Institute."

"So you and Dr. Brennan have been living together for ten months?" Calvin Triche wished he'd followed through on that vacation request. He could be on some beach drinking rum and Coke and not having to deal with this. "If you were so sure that you weren't doing anything wrong why hide it?" Furious that Booth would pull such a thing, Triche tried to keep calm. Booth was one their best investigators and there were rumors that the CIA was headhunting Booth at the moment. He didn't know if that was true, but the last thing he wanted to do was lose his Supervisory Special Agent. The FBI was still dealing with the fallout of Deputy Director Kirby's murder and the fact that several FBI Agents had been fired and charged with numerous crimes because of Booth's determination to look into the murder of former FBI Agent Delaney. He had continued that investigation even though Kirby had suspended him without pay. The fact that Kirby had turned out to be a murderer himself and part of the corruption had shaken the FBI to the core and they couldn't afford to lose any more good agents, especially the one that had revealed the corruption in the FBI in the first place. That would just be a Public Relations nightmare.

Since he knew it was possible he might lose his position with the FBI because of his hidden relationship with his partner, Booth decided that honest answers were warranted. "Dr. Brennan is a best-selling author. She has two books on the New York Times Best Sellers list right now. She also has millions of fans and those fans are very nosy. Bones . . . Dr. Brennan wants to keep her private life private. Also we both agreed to keep the relationship private so that we could prove that we can work together as professionals while we're still having a romantic relationship. There have been no complaints that I know of about Dr. Brennan or me. Our conduct has been purely professional and our solve rate has continued to climb."

Triche knew that nothing was going to be done to Booth or his partner, but he had a role to play and right now that was one of an outraged Assistant Deputy Director. "You may return to work. I have to take this to the Deputy Director and I'm sure the Director will have a say in this too."

Uncertain about his future, Booth stood up and walked over to the door. Before he left, Booth glanced back at his supervisor. "If you wish me to resign, let me know . . . I've been approached by the CIA and they're interested in hiring me. I thought you'd like to know." Booth knew that his career and his partnership were on the line, so he played the one Ace he had up his sleeve. What he had said was true and he would leave the FBI if they made him choose between his Bones and the FBI.

The rumor about the CIA confirmed, Triche nodded his head. "I'll pass that along too."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

After working on a case all morning, Booth returned to the Hoover while he waited for Brennan and her squints to give him more information before he could continue to work on the case. A note taped on his PC told him to go to the Deputy Director's office as soon as he came back. _Here we go._

Before he left his office, he ran a comb through his hair and ran a shoe brush quickly over his shoes to get rid of the dirt clinging to the leather. He knew he was just delaying the interview, but he needed a moment to calm down. Booth was certain that he would either be looking for a new job at the end of that meeting, been demoted to the bullpen and his partnership gone or he'd be told his position was safe. Three possible outcomes and he had no clue which one would prevail. He wasn't sure he'd accept the demotion if that was the final decision. First he needed to find out what his fate was and then decide.

After he arrived at the Deputy Director's office, Booth knocked on the inner door and waited since Bishop's personal assistant was at lunch. To his surprise the door opened and the Deputy Director stood aside. "Booth, get your ass in here."

That greeting rather disheartening, Booth stepped in and noticed that Director Ross himself was sitting on the couch near the window. "Sir, I was told to come see you when I got back."

The Director had arranged to be notified as soon as Booth had driven into the parking garage, so he could be at this particular meeting. Now he sat back and watched his Deputy Director deal with it. His intention on being there was to lend weight to the meeting, but not to control it.

Deputy Director Bishop moved behind his desk, but did not sit down. Instead he leaned on the desk top with his knuckles. "Is Dr. Brennan pregnant?"

Surprised that that was the first question he was asked, Booth calmly shook his head. "No Sir."

"Then why tell us about this now?" The Deputy Director was curious about what had trigged this confession. Ten months was a long time to keep a secret, but he didn't see why the secret couldn't have continued. "What made you come forward now to tell us about this relationship?"

His back straight, his hands crossed in front of his waist, Booth explained the situation. "When I was kidnapped by Gallagher, Bones . . . Dr. Brennan tried to get some information about my circumstances from the FBI. They refused to tell her anything since we're not related . . . That upset her and when she told me about it, it upset me. She had a right to know what the FBI was doing to find me. As it is, she and her squints found me instead. We talked it over and we've decided to come forward about our relationship. She doesn't want to go through what she went through when I was kidnapped ever again and I don't blame her. I'd want to be kept in the loop if she was in trouble."

"I see." Bishop sat down and motioned for Booth to sit down. He had no intention of staring up at his agent. "Why shouldn't I fire you?"

Booth sat down, but didn't relax. "I'm a pretty damn good investigator. Dr. Brennan and I have the highest solve rate on the Eastern Seaboard. We've captured a serial killer amongst other criminals and we've closed cold cases that have been languishing in the cold case files for years. Dr. Brennan doesn't work for the FBI. She's a contracted forensic anthropologist that works for the Jeffersonian Institute. You may of course fire me since I don't have control over that situation, but Bones . . . Dr. Brennan will not work with any other FBI Agents . . . well to be more truthful, no FBI Agents will work with her, so you will lose her expertise. If that is your intention then of course you can fire me or demote me and take my partner from me. The FBI will lose."

Booth hesitated, but decided to put all of his cards on the table. "Deputy Director McKnight of the CIA and Deputy Director Darouse of the NSA have contacted me in the last few weeks and have asked if I'd be interested in working for them. If you fire me or demote me I will take one of them up on their offer."

The last bit of news was not surprising to either the Deputy Director or the Director. They had both been warned by the Directors of those agencies that they were offering Booth a position at their agency and they were going to try their best to tempt him to accept. "Do you plan to accept either of the offers if I don't demote you or take your partner away from you?" That was the question Director Ross had been waiting for Bishop to ask.

"No Sir, I like the FBI, but if you fire me, demote me or take my partner from me then yes, I will take the offer from the CIA." Booth was calm and knew that his future wasn't very bleak. As long as he had Brennan in his life, he could make adjustments to his career. "Deputy Director McKnight has promised me a raise and the title of Senior Supervisor."

That revelation was enough to make Director Ross angry. _Damn CIA. Always trying to poach my best agents. Fuck!_ Worried that Booth might change his mind and leave once he had time to think about it, the Director knew that it was time to stop that exodus as quickly as possible. Giving a small wave of his hand to get the attention of the Deputy Director, Ross spoke directly to Booth. "You're right, Dr. Brennan doesn't work for the FBI and the non-fraternization rule obviously doesn't apply . . . As you know we've been through a firestorm here at the Hoover. Kirby is dead and fifteen agents have been arrested on charges of corruption and numerous other charges. We're looking for someone to replace Assistant Special Agent in Charge Hadley and I was thinking you might fit the bill. Are you interested?"

Not sure if he should be surprised or not, Booth was careful not to smile. "Yes, Sir."

"I'll bet." The Director knew how to play the game and Booth had won. "Alright, as of today that's your new position. No need to move to Hadley's old office. Your office is good enough."

Shocked at this turn of events, Booth nodded his head since he liked his office just fine. "Thank you Sir."

The meeting over as far as the Director was concerned, Ross stood up, walked over to where Booth was sitting and waited for the man to stand. After they shook hands, the Director shook his head. "Don't disappoint me Booth. If you and that partner of yours are unprofessional in the field, I will take your partnership away from you. Your partnership is on probation for the next six months. Don't fuck this up."

"No Sir." Booth watched the Director leave the room and then turned to face the Deputy Director." Will that be all, Sir?"

"You certainly came out smelling like roses." Deputy Director Bishop had known about the planned probation and the fact that it was just a way for the FBI to save face. The promotion had been talked about and Bishop knew that it had hinged on whether or not Booth was tempted to leave the FBI. "You have a case you're working on don't you? I'm late for lunch."

Booth took the hint and left.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Entering the Lab, Booth walked jauntily to Brennan's office and found the office unoccupied. Moving over to the platform, he found his girlfriend standing next to a steel table, looking at a femur or something like that. After he was up on the platform, he called out to her. "Bones, we're good. The meeting turned out better than I thought it would."

Happy to see Booth and grateful for the good news, Brennan took her sterile gloves off and threw them in the bio-waste bin. "That's good to hear. Our partnership is still intact?"

"Yeah of course." Booth was so happy he wanted to grab Brennan up his arms and swing her around, but he knew that she would hate it and it would be unprofessional. "Oh and I got a raise and a promotion. You're looking at the new Assistant Special Agent in Charge. I'm in charge of Major Crimes."

Happy for Booth, Hodgins stood up from the small table he had been working at. "Hey man congratulations."

"Thanks." Booth glanced at Hodgins and smiled. "They had an opening they needed to fill."

Cam moved up the staircase and congratulated her friend. She had overheard the conversation while she was talking to a tech below the platform. "Congratulations, Booth."

Booth's grin made his face look beautiful and both Brennan and Cam felt their hearts flutter just a little bit. Brennan moved over to where Booth was standing and kissed him on the cheek much to the shock of Hodgins and Cam. "We can make our announcement then." When Booth nodded his head, Brennan turned to face her puzzled supervisor. "Booth and I are in a monogamous relationship. We have been for ten months. The FBI has given its approval. There are no non-fraternization rules here at the Jeffersonian, so there should be no difficulties about that."

Taken by surprise, Cam shook her head, thought it over for a few seconds and smiled. "Well congratulations you two. To say the least I am surprised, but anyway congratulations."

"Thanks Cam." Booth stood with his hands in his pockets and continued to smile. "You won't have to worry about our professionalism. Bones and I will be professional at crime scenes." Booth turned and lost his smile. "Bones, we're on probation for the next six months. If we behave in public then the FBI won't break up our partnership."

"Well that shouldn't be a problem since we've been very professional since we started having sex together." Brennan moved back to the steel table and placed a new pair of gloves on.

His eyes widened a little, but Booth wasn't really surprised. Brennan was blunt and he loved that about her, even if she did say things that embarrassed him sometimes. "Okay, well I have to head back to the Hoover. I'll see you this evening."

Brennan turned and smiled at her boyfriend. "Congratulations on your promotion Booth. It is well deserved."

Proud of his relationship and his promotion, Booth nodded his head and turned to move back to the staircase. "See you tonight Bones. We'll celebrate then."

Unable to wait any longer, once Booth was down the staircase, Hodgins took off his gloves, raced across the platform, down the staircase and practically flew towards Angela's office. "Angela! Angela you are never going to believe this!"

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Let me know what you think of my story. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thank you.


	36. Chapter 36

(Stargazer in a Puddle)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

"So when are you and Booth going to get married?" Angela had just announced that she and Hodgins were going to have a wedding in a few days and she wanted to know about Brennan's future wedding plans. Angela wanted to help Brennan plan her wedding if she'd let her.

Busy with term papers, Brennan was trying to grade some of them before she had to go with Booth to interview a suspect. Booth was checking into the background of the mother of the victim and once that was done they would have a second interview with her about the demise of her daughter. "Booth and I aren't getting married."

She had said it so matter-of-factly that Angela stared at her friend in disbelief. "You aren't getting married?"

"Of course not." Brennan continued to read the paper she was holding while she answered Angela's question. "Marriage is an antiquated ritual that has no place in modern society. It used to denote the transfer of the woman from the control of her father to the control of her new husband. I am not chattel to be traded like a cow or a chicken."

Irritated, Angela stared intently at her friend. "Modern marriages don't have the same significance, Brennan. Marriage lets the world know that you're in a monogamous relationship with someone. It gives you rights that being single doesn't give you like being privy to medical information as next of kin and giving you the right to make decisions for your husband if he's incapacitated or he can make decisions for you if you're incapacitated. It allows you both to use certain tax deductions and you would have access to his Veteran's disability and most important of all, he'd have custodial rights to your children whenever you two have some."

Aware that Angela's tone of voice had changed, Brennan looked up to see if she could judge what that change was. "Are you angry with me?"

"No . . . a little." Angela was frustrated with her friend, but she knew that being truly angry with Brennan wouldn't solve anything. "Honey, I know that even though you're living with Booth you're still afraid of love . . . your parents have a lot to answer for that's for sure, but Booth loves you and you love him. Take that final step and get married. I know you'd make Booth very happy. He's Catholic and I'm sure he wants to get married."

Her own annoyance growing, Brennan leaned back against her chair and gave Angela her full attention. "I am in love with Booth and he is in love with me, but I know that can change. My parents loved me and yet they thought nothing of abandoning me. Russ gave me to the state of Ohio . . . someday, Booth may fall out of love with me and he may abandon me too. Why should I tangle my financial responsibilities with his only to have to go court later to untangle them?"

"Bren . . . Bren he loves you so much." Angela stood up and leaned on Brennan's desk. "Just because your parents and brother abandoned you doesn't mean Booth will. You can't live your life expecting everyone around you to betray you. Be happy like me. Jack and I are going to get married. Believe me I'm scared too, but he's the first person I've ever been involved with that I knew that I could give up some of my independence for. No, I'm not chattel and neither is Jack. We're getting married because we want the world to see that we're committed to each other in every way. Booth would do anything for you, Honey. Didn't he confront his bosses at the FBI and let them know you two are a couple because you wanted him to? He was willing to lose his job for you. Don't you see he isn't your parents?"

Feeling a slight headache building between her eyes, Brennan rubbed her forehead. "Angela . . . I talked to Booth about this months ago. He knows I don't want to get married and he's accepted that. He assured me that he's satisfied with our relationship the way it is."

"That's because he loves you, Brennan." Angela knew she was talking to the proverbial brick wall. "I just hope you realize how much Booth is sacrificing to let you have your way. He's a religious man and right now he's living in sin."

"You're being influenced by an overload of neurotransmitters." Brennan tried once more to reason with her friend. "You are also being influenced by the production of oxytocin and vasopressin. You want everyone around you to feel the same thing. Booth and I also feel those things, but we are not letting them influence our judgment. I don't want to get married and Booth has agreed to not ask me. I'm happy for you Angela, I really am, but Booth and I are not going to get married."

By now, Angela knew that the argument was over. Once Brennan dug in her heels, nothing could move her. "Fine, but Jack and I are getting married . . . Do you still wish to be my Maid of Honor?"

Grateful that Angela had given up, Brennan nodded her head. "Yes of course. Just because I don't believe in marriage doesn't mean it isn't for everyone. I would be honored to be your Maid of Honor."

Angela walked around the desk and hugged her friend. "Good. I don't know who Jack is asking to be his best man, so I'll let you know as soon as I find out."

After her friend had left the room, Brennan stared at the pile of folders on her desk and worried that Angela was right and that Booth really did want to get married.

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Once she was in Booth's SUV, Brennan placed her hand over Booth's hand before he could start the truck. "Do you wish to get married?"

Not sure why Brennan was bringing up the topic of marriage, Booth hesitated before answering. "Um . . . are you asking me to marry you?"

"No of course not." Brennan released Booth's hand and crossed her arms against her breasts. "Angela and Hodgins plan to marry in a few days and I'm to be her Maid of Honor . . . She said that because you're Catholic you probably want to marry me because you think you're living in sin."

"Angela." Booth knew that Angela had a tendency to stick her nose in where it wasn't wanted. "Bones, Angela doesn't know everything okay? Sure I'd like to get married someday, but only if you want to. I'm not about to make you get married if you don't want to . . . We're fine, Bones. I'm fine. I love you, you love me and we're living together. We're partners. It's going to be okay. I'm not going to walk away from you just because we're not married, so stop listening to Angela. She's not an expert in everything . . . okay?"

Stiff afraid that Angela was right, Brennan tried to accept what her boyfriend had told her. "I just don't believe in the institution of marriage . . . Love can die . . ."

"Whoa!" Booth held up his hand and twisted his body so he could get a better look at Brennan. "Just back the hell up . . . My love is not going to die. I'm in this to the end of our days. If anyone walks away from this it would be you and I hope you never do. I love you, Bones. I love you. Love only dies if you let it and I will not let that happen." He saw how sad she looked and it made him feel a little uncertain about their relationship. Was she already tired of him? "Bones, you love me don't you?"

"Yes of course." Brennan gazed at her boyfriend and tried to understand what he was feeling. She wasn't very good at picking up cues from facial expressions, but it seemed that Booth was very worried. She had never meant to upset him, but she had done so anyway. "I'm not leaving you, Booth. I just wanted to make sure you understand that I don't want to get married."

Somewhat relieved, Booth gave her a weak smile, leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Look, this conversation isn't necessary, Bones. All it's doing is upsetting you and me. We aren't getting married and that's fine by me. We're doing okay. We are. Everyone knows that we're a . . . a monogamous couple and we're living with each other. If and when we get married is our business and no one else's. Angela should just take care of her business and not ours."

Finally assured, Brennan smiled. "Yes and it is very odd that she and Hodgins became engaged yesterday and they want to get married in a few days. It seems quite impulsive."

"Well, it's Angela, what do expect." Booth shifted back in his seat so he could face completely forward and started the SUV. "I just hope Hodgins is ready because that ship is definitely going to be a wild ride."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	37. Chapter 37

(Star Gazer in a Puddle)

Thank you for reviewig my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan was showing Booth an x-ray of the victim when Brennan's father walked into her office. Moving quickly, Booth pulled his gun from his holster, told Max that he was under arrest and started reading the con man his rights.

In shock, Brennan tried to comprehend the sight of her father giving up so easily and that her boyfriend was holding a loaded gun on her father. "Booth, please." She didn't even know what she was asking Booth to do and when Booth asked her to get his handcuffs out of his back pocket she refused. "What do you mean no? Bones . . ."

"I don't want to help you handcuff my own father." Brennan crossed her arms against her breasts and refused to give in to Booth's demands for help. The whole thing seemed macabre. "Booth, he helped me find you when Gallagher kidnapped you. He saved your life."

Booth was furious that Max was putting him in this God awful position with Brennan, but what choice did he have? Max was wanted for the murder of Deputy Director Kirby and as an agent for the FBI it was his duty to arrest Max Keenan. To not do so could cause him to lose his job and worse, probably be arrested himself. The fact that Max was also responsible for the misery Brennan had suffered in Foster Care helped him to harden his heart towards the older man. Brennan might be confused, but he wasn't. Max was a murderer and he belonged in jail.

Calmly, Max tried to make his arrest by Booth easier for the younger man. He did what he was told and turned to face the wall, while Booth handcuffed him. "I heard you were getting married, Tempe." He actually knew that it was the bug guy and the artist that were getting married, but he'd needed an excuse to surrender to the authorities and this 'misunderstanding' was as good of an excuse as any. He had also made sure that it was Booth that arrested him. The last thing he needed was to be gunned down by the police because of the seriousness of his crime and the fact that he was considered armed and dangerous. Max knew that Booth was honorable and that he would take good care to make sure nothing happened to him.

Bewildered and anxious, Brennan wasn't sure if she was acting properly towards her boyfriend, but Max was her father. Max had walked into her office because he thought she was getting married. "No Dad, Hodgins and Angela are getting married. Not Booth and I."

Max heard the pain in his daughter's voice and he knew that she was upset that he was being arrested. Hopeful that that meant that she actually loved him, he turned his head so that he could look her firmly in the eyes. "Oh the bug guy." He had abandoned his daughter when she'd turned fifteen and when it was too late to do anything about it, he'd found out that Russ had forgone his responsibilities to his little sister and abandoned her too. His daughter had suffered in Foster care and had almost died from mistreatment. Sick that that had happened to his baby girl, Max worried that his daughter hated him and his wife.

After he had pretended to be a priest while he plotted and then killed the murderer Kirby to protect his family, he had abandoned his daughter once more, this time taking her brother with him. He knew he had a lot to answer for and that his daughter had suffered because of his actions. Time was starting to catch up with him and he knew that he needed to do something for his daughter and himself. If he had any hope of reconnecting with Tempe, he had to start soon and this was the time he had chosen.

Feeling like he was destroying his relationship with Brennan and with no way to stop it, Booth tried to reason with his girlfriend. "Bones . . . Bones, I'm sorry, but he killed the Deputy Director of the FBI. I'm just doing my job, can't you see that?" He wanted to throw up he was so nauseous, but he grimly continued to do his job anyway. He knew that he'd have to talk to Brennan as soon as he could. He just hoped he still had a girlfriend at the end of the day.

Max hadn't meant to cause a rift between Booth and his daughter and if he'd had a better choice he'd have used it. He needed Booth to be the one to arrest him to make sure he arrived safely at the Hoover. "It's okay. He's right. He's just doing his job, Honey."

Though he wanted to make sure that Brennan was alright, Booth knew that he had to get Max to the Hoover as soon as possible. This was one of those times where Brennan needed him and he couldn't stay to help her. He just hoped she'd be alright while he was gone and he vowed to get back to her as soon as he could.

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Much to the chagrin of Booth, Caroline had ordered the Agent to release Max for the time being. So far there was no evidence to prove that Max was indeed Max Keenan. They had watched him drink from a glass and intended to use the fingerprints on the glass to make their case, but oddly Max hadn't seemed concerned in the slightest that they were going to try to use his fingerprints against him. Caroline was suspicious, but suspicions didn't mean they could keep Max locked up.

Filled with anger, once Caroline was out of the room, Booth placed his fists on the table and leaned on them. "What you did to Bones was unforgiveable . . . she's special and you just abandoned her when she was fifteen. She almost died because of you and your wife. She didn't have anyone to protect her . . . no one and then you come back into her life, kill two men and run off with her brother. What kind of a man are you?"

"A frail one?" Max calmly looked at her daughter's boyfriend and the words he heard from Booth were sincere and filled with rage. "Christine and I left our kids behind to save their lives. We had a murderer after us and in the end Christine died. My wife didn't want our kids to be in danger . . . but yeah, Tempe is special and I should have arranged for one of her mother's sisters to come and get her. I thought Russ could handle it, but I was wrong and by the time I found out what had happened to my little girl it was too late, she had aged out of the system."

"Bones has some aunts?" His anger slowly ebbing, Booth heard Max's words and he knew that the man regretted his past actions. Still, Brennan had almost died because of Max's thoughtlessness. "Bones doesn't really need you back in her life, Max. She has me now. I'm her family and I'll never abandon her like you did."

"I'm glad." Max had been thrilled when he had heard that his daughter was in relationship with the man standing before him. He considered himself a good judge of character and he knew that Booth was just the man Temperance Brennan needed in her life. "I only want her to be happy. I came back to try to fix things between Tempe and me. I just hope it isn't too late."

Certain that Max had created a great deal of trouble for him while trying to get out of trouble himself, Booth abruptly turned and walked towards the door. Before he left the room he paused and stared at the doorknob in his hand. He had to find out if the fingerprints on the glass could prove that Max was indeed Max. In the meantime, "You can go for now."

Max watched Booth leave the room and slowly stood up. So far, things were working out as he had planned. Only time would tell if it had all been worth it.

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Much to Caroline's ire, the fingerprints on the glass didn't help in the least. There was no record on file that contained the fingerprints of Max Keenan. The fact was, Deputy Director Kirby had probably been the one to delete the fingerprints from the system and ironically that meant that Max might get away with the murder of the Deputy Director.

While he had waited in his office for the fingerprint search, Booth had received a text message from Brennan telling him that she was going to her apartment after she was done for the day. The message had contained nothing else and that made Booth worry even more. He had sent a message back telling her he might be late coming home, but she had not replied which almost seemed to seal his fate. It was possible that he had lost the woman he loved and he wasn't sure if he could accept it.

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Once he was in front of Brennan's apartment, Booth leaned his head against the door and closed his eyes. The next few minutes were probably going to determine if Brennan was still in his life and he felt on the verge of panic. He hated that feeling, it made him feel like a loser, but he might be on the verge of losing everything he wanted in life. Bracing himself, he prepared for the worse, determined not to make the situation worse than it already was. If Brennan kicked him out, he hoped he had the courage to fight to make things better down the road for both of them and that he could eventually win her back.

Entering the apartment, Booth heard voices in the kitchen. Cautiously, he walked across the living room and stood in the kitchen doorway. Not really surprised, Booth sighed. "What's he doing here?"

Her eyes drawn to Booth, Brennan shrugged her shoulders, but answered him. "Max wanted to talk to me about Russ and to give me this." Brennan held up a ring and then clutched it in her hand. "Apparently it belonged to my mother and before that my mother's mother. Also there's a message from my mother on videotape, but he doesn't know what it is."

Calmly, Booth nodded his head and left the room. Moving across the living room, he entered their bedroom and sat down on the bed. Obviously Brennan had things to say to her father and he didn't need to be there. The fact that she was talking to him was a good sign and he hoped it meant that he was still in her life.

Once Booth was out of the room, Brennan turned to face her father. "Booth will prove you are who you are Max and he will arrest you for murder again."

Not really concerned about that, Max smiled. "I expect he will. In the meantime, I hope we can visit with each other . . . Tempe, I'm sorry about what happened, your mother and I leaving you and Russ, Foster Care . . . we never meant for any of that to happen . . ."

"And yet it did." Brennan stood up and placed the ring down on the table. "I'd like you to leave Dad. I need to talk to Booth."

"Of course Sweetheart." Max leaned over to kiss his daughter, but she sidestepped him, not allowing him to touch her. "Bye Dad."

Once her father was gone, Brennan made her way to the bedroom to talk to her boyfriend. She found Booth sitting on the bed facing the door and from the look on his face, she knew he was upset or sad or maybe both. She had a difficult time interpreting emotions on other people's faces and it was possible that Booth was both sad and upset. "Booth, I know you were doing your job. Max is wanted for murder . . . I'm confused. One minute I'm angry with my father and then the next minute I find myself concerned about his welfare. No matter what he did in the past, he is my father. My mother is dead and besides Russ . . . I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about what is going on. Max murdered at least two men, two that we know of . . . but he's my father. There is something wrong with me . . . he needs to be punished, but I don't want him to die for what he did . . . I don't know what I'm supposed to feel."

The look on her face made Booth feel so sad for her. She had a hard enough time dealing with day to day things and now Max was just making her miserable and she needed someone to help her. Well that someone was him. "Bones." Booth stood up and held his arms open wide hoping she'd accept his support. "Come here, Bones."

Grateful that Booth was home, Brennan moved swiftly into his embrace. "I don't know what I'm supposed to feel, Booth. Something is very wrong with me."

His arms wrapped around her, Booth held her against his body and felt her start to tremble. "There is nothing wrong with you, Bones. This whole thing is so complicated and you have a right to be confused. Max murdered Deputy Director Kirby as well as Garret Delaney and he probably had McVicker killed as well. He abandoned you when you were a kid and Foster Care was hell for you. It's a lot to take in, but he came back Bones. He wants to be part of your life again and he's willing to risk being arrested and tried for murder. He probably will be arrested pretty soon. We just need to prove that Max is Max. In the meantime, maybe you should talk to him, get his side of stuff. Once you hear him out, maybe you can figure out what to do next."

Logically, Booth made sense and yet Brennan was still confused. She hated Max for what he had done to her and yet she still loved him too. "Hold me Booth. You're the only one I trust right now. Just hold me."

Those words were all he needed to hear from her. Brennan was still his and he was hers. He was going to help her through this mess and hopefully she'd be alright in the end. "I'm here Bones. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	38. Chapter 38

(Star Gazer in the Puddle)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Caroline Julian managed to get a federal judge to grant a court order for the DNA of Arthur McGregor from Coos Bay, Oregon, Max's alias for the last few years. She wanted it just in case they could find some DNA evidence to link him to Max and much to Booth's surprise that evidence came up the next day. Charlie Burns tracked down some blood evidence being held by the State Police in Illinois. Apparently Max had been involved in a failed robbery attempt of a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Carbondale, Illinois in 1978. A clerk bopped him on the head with a baseball bat causing Max to bleed. Max had left the bloodied napkins behind that he'd used to staunch the blood. The FBI prioritized the DNA tests and they came back a match. Arthur McGregor was Max Keenan, wanted for the murder of Deputy Director Kirby.

It took him a few hours, but Booth tracked down Max and presented him with a warrant for his arrest. "You're under arrest for the murder of Deputy Director Kirby."

Max considered giving up at that point, but he knew he didn't have it in him to do that. He decided to resist arrest even though there was a forty year difference between him and the younger man trying to arrest him.

Determined to bring Max in, Booth decided this might be the chance to punish Max for hurting Brennan. Booth didn't consider himself a vindictive man, but Brennan had almost died in Foster Care because of Max's foolish life choices and if he could get in a lick or two, well, life could be good sometimes. Also Booth abhorred the way Max thought it was okay to just leave Brennan behind any time he felt like it. The man didn't seem to realize how much pain he'd caused his daughter over the years.

After trading a few blows, Max knelt on the ground and surrendered. Booth hadn't really hurt Max, but the two solid punches were blows for his girl and Booth felt that she got a little payback for Max's mistreatment of her. Of course, Max being the man he was, used his fist and hit Booth in the groin causing Booth to suffer great pain.

Amused with the entire situation, Max quietly waited for Booth to recover from the blow and then allowed himself to be arrested and taken back to the Hoover. He had appreciated the fight Booth had given him. It made him feel young to trade punches with a man like Booth and he knew that the Agent hadn't held back. His daughter had chosen well and Max decided that he liked Booth even more than he did before now.

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Booth found himself in an awkward positon that night. Once he arrived at Brennan's apartment he let her know that he'd arrested her father for murder. Brennan had accepted it in a quiet way and Booth reminded her that he was there for her if she needed to talk or for him to just hold her.

While he was soaking in the tub, Brennan entered the bathroom to remove the dirty clothes from the clothes hamper to start a load of laundry and as usual paused to admire her boyfriend's physique. As her gaze moved over his still body, she was shocked to see a deep bruise above his penis. "Booth what happened to you?"

Opening his eyes, Booth continued to lean against the back of the tub and soak in the hot water. "Your father happened to me. He resisted arrest and when he finally gave up and my guard was down he hit me in the groin. Your father plays dirty, Bones."

Angry that her father would hurt Booth like that, Brennan clutched the dirty clothes in her arms and seethed. "I just don't understand him. How am I supposed to understand a man who gives himself up in an agreeable manner to you one day and then resists arrest the next? To hit you there Booth, he could have seriously hurt you."

"No shit." Booth wasn't really in a forgiving mood at the moment. "Well, he's in jail, so there's some satisfaction in that situation anyway."

Abruptly turning on her heels. Brennan left the room and made her way to the laundry room where she started a load of laundry. While she fumed about her father, Booth gave up on soaking in the tub. Once he'd emptied the water from the tub, he dried off and changed into sweat pants, an old t-shirt and tracked down Brennan. He found her sitting in the laundry room staring at the washing machine.

"Bones, you want to talk?" Booth wasn't sure what to say to Brennan about her father, but he knew that she was still torn about how she was supposed to act about the situation. "It's okay to love your father, Bones. No one says you have to hate him just because of the shit he's done in his life. I know he loves you."

Her feelings mixed, Brennan found it impossible to separate her love for her father from the hatred she felt for being abandoned at the age of fifteen. "He and my mother abandoned me. They just drove away the day before Christmas and I never saw my mother again . . . He came back, but he murdered a man, Booth. He murdered two men and had another killed. He's not a nice man."

"No he isn't, but he loves you." Booth hated not being able to fix this problem for her. He wanted to help Brennan so badly, but there wasn't any magic words he could use to help her to do that. She was the one that had to decide if she wanted Max in her life or not. "He's risked his life to come back, Bones. He came back knowing that he was going to be tried for Kirby's death. That takes a lot of love."

She heard his words and she wanted to believe them, but Brennan was uncertain about her father's motives. For an intelligent man, Max wasn't acting very logically and that just didn't make any sense to her. "He could have stayed in Oregon. He didn't have to come back. I didn't want him to come back . . . why did he do that?"

"I told you, Bones. He did it for love." Booth knew that he'd do a lot of things for Brennan he'd never do for anyone else because he loved her. He knew he'd kill for her if he had to and maybe Max felt the same way. "Love is complicated. Max loves you and Russ. I guess he's been keeping an eye on you two for the last few years. At least that's how he knew about Kirby and that you and Russ were in danger. Max has done a lot of bad things in his life, but he did one thing great. He helped create you . . . Don't let this thing with Max get you down, Bones. You have time to work out if you want to have Max in your life or not. It's going to be months before he goes to trial. Capital murder cases aren't rushed no matter who the victim of the murderer is. You can visit him in jail and get to know him better. Don't let this eat you up. There is no right or wrong in this situation. If you want Max to be your father then that's good. If not, well that's okay too. I'll back you up no matter what decision you make. Just remember you're not alone, you have me. I'm your family too."

She greatly appreciated his words and they did seem to soother her hurts. Standing up, she moved over to where Booth was waiting and hugged him. "Thank you . . . Angela and Hodgins are getting married in two days. I'm the maid of honor and you're the best man. Our lives are very strange Booth."

Chuckling, Booth held her in his arms and agreed with her. "We definitely don't have normal lives. Our case is over, Max is in jail and we're going to a wedding. You have to admit we're interesting people Bones."

"Very interesting people." Brennan released Booth and sighed. "It's too bad Max bruised you, Booth. I guess we'll have to forgo sex tonight. I will speak to him about this when I see him. That was definitely dirty billiards."

"Dirty Pool." Booth took Brennan's hand in his hand and kissed the top of it. "Come on. Let's go get a glass of wine and watch some television. We deserve a quiet night at home after the shit week we've had."

Brennan turned the overhead light off in the laundry room and let the washing machine continue to run. Following Booth into the kitchen, she watched him pour two glasses of wine and appreciated the fact that he was there for her and that she wasn't alone. She had been alone for so long and it was nice to have someone in her life that she could count on. Someone that loved her.

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The wedding hadn't gone as planned and Brennan found the whole thing quite strange. Accrording to the State Department, Angela was already married and she couldn't marry Hodgins. She knew her friend was a free spirit, but how do you forget that you have a husband?

To add to the surrealness of the occasion, Zach had handed Brennan a letter to read right after Hodgins and Angela had fled from their wedding and it had not been good news. If someone had asked her, shocked would probably be the emotion she would have chosen to admit to if they had asked her how she felt when she found out that Zach was going to be serving in Iraq for the next year as so. The Secretary of State had requested that he contract with the United States Army in the capacity of a forensic anthropologist and Zach had been honored. Not sure what to make of it all, Brennan had thought about Zach's future and she worried that he wouldn't fit in with the military personel he woud be serving wtih.

Brennan had tried her best to talk him out of going, but he hadn't relented. Zach was a patriot and he wanted to serve his country. He had never dreamed that he would be offered the opportunity and now that that chance had arrived, he was eager to do his duty regardless of his mentor's fears.

Of course Zach did have some reservations about being shot or hurt and he had tried to talk to Booth about it, but the Agent felt that that kind of conversation was just too personal. He was impressed that Zach wanted to serve, but like Brennan, Booth had his doubts that the man was the kind of material the Army was looking for. "Zach it's up to you. If you want to serve then do it. It won't be easy, in fact it's probably going to be the hardest thing you've ever done." Zach had appreciated Booth's candor and decided to accept the offer anyway.

Much to her disappointment, Brennan had tried to persuade Booth into talking Zach out of the idea, but Booth had been adamantly against it. "Zach is a grown man, Bones. It's his life and it's his decision. If he wants to serve his country then he has a right to do it."

A few days after the wedding fiasco, Zach gave his farewell to the staff at the Jeffersonian. Grimly, he had shook hands with anyone that wanted to shake his hand and after a weak smile and an enthusiastic hug with Brennan, Zach had left the Lab leaving behind several very worried friends.

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	39. Chapter 39

(After The Stargazer in the Puddle)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

She'd hesitated to go and visit her father and Booth was beginning to wonder if she ever would. "Bones it's been a month since Max was arrested. Aren't you going to go see him?"

With mixed feelings warring inside her, Brennan closed the file she had open on her lap top and turned to face her boyfriend. "I'm not sure I should see him. He's in prison awaiting trial for murder. What would it accomplish for me to actually go see him?"

Her answer had surprised him and Booth wasn't sure how he should answer her. Moving from the couch to the dining room table where Brennan was sitting, Booth used those seconds to think over his answer. After he sat next to her, he placed his hand over the top of her hand as it rested on the table. "Okay . . . Max did some terrible things in his life, we can't gloss over that fact. For sure he killed Deputy Director Kirby and he probably had McViker killed in prison, but Max is your father. He abandoned you when you were a kid and I think he feels remorse for that. He gave himself up so that he could have contact with you even though he knew he'd go on trial for murder if he was captured. This is a death penalty case, Bones and he's risking his life just to get back into your life."

The warmth of Booth's hand on top of her hand felt good. Carefully she turned her hand over to allow Booth to actually grasp her hand. Connected to him, Brennan felt calmer as she thought over the situation. "He may feel remorse for abandoning me, but it doesn't change anything. One moment I had a father and a mother and the next moment I didn't. They went Christmas shopping and I never saw my mother again . . . My mother and I had a fight the night before she disappeared, we fought over a boy. She thought I was changing myself to please Scott. I had started smoking because he was smoking. She told me I was too dreamy and emotional and that I needed to use my brain. I slapped her hand away when she touched me and I never saw her again. I loved her and her last memory of me was slapping her hand away."

Her sorrow filled voice made Booth realize that his girlfriend was still mourning the loss of her mother. Feeling sad for her, he pulled her hand up and kissed it. "Bones, I'm sure she took that all in stride. Teenagers can be a pain in the ass. You should hear about some of the crap I put Pops through. Your mother knew you loved her and she loved you. I bet she forgave you the second after that happened." Booth hated that Max and Christine hadn't found a way take Brennan with them, but the past was the past and they had to live in the present. "Go see Max. Talk to him. Ask him why he didn't take you with them. Find out what really happened to your mother. We think we know, but find out for sure. Ask him questions that you've always wanted answers to. Don't let this opportunity go by, you may not get another one."

"Would you go see him if he was your father?" Brennan knew that Booth hated his father, but for different reasons than she had. "If your father abandoned you would you talk to him?"

He knew he had to be careful with his answer. This situation had everything to do with Brennan and her lack of trust and he didn't want her to be sidetracked into his messy past. "You know my mother ran away and left me and Jared behind 23 years ago. I promise you, if she walked through that front door right now, I'd be very glad to see her. I only saw her once after she left us. She came to my high school graduation. I didn't get to talk to her because she left before the ceremony was over, but she left me a gift of some money and a graduation card with Pops. That hurt believe me, but I would speak to her Bones and I'd gladly do it."

Slowly nodding her head, Brennan looked into Booths' warm brown eyes and sighed. "Yes, alright, I'll go see him, but don't expect me to forgive him for what he did."

"I won't." Booth hoped she gave Max a chance, but that was up to her. Brennan had to find it in her to forgive her father. Since he hated his father's guts, he wouldn't blame her if she chose to see him once and then never again. "I'm in your corner, Bones. No matter what you do about your Dad, I'm with you."

Her love for Booth seemed to grow every day and it was because she knew she could count on him. "Thank you."

A slight smile on his face, Booth leaned over and kissed her. "You're welcome. I'm your family now and you're not alone. If you need me to do something you let me know. If you want me to go with you to see Max then I'll do it."

Brennan thought about it momentarily and then shook her head. "I think it would be better if I confront him alone, but thank you for the offer."

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Max was nervous, but he'd learned a long time ago how to control his emotions. His wife had always claimed he had the best poker face and he took great pride in that fact. When his daughter entered the visitor's room, Max remained seated at the table. He wasn't sure how they had rated a private room for their first meeting, but he wasn't about to question it. "Hello Tempe."

As she entered the room, Brennan was honest with herself and admitted that the face that now represented her father was still something that she found disturbing. The man sitting before her looked nothing like her father, but plastic surgery could erase someone very easily replacing them with someone new. Brennan had seen that done to a young woman a few years ago. The would-be actress had had so many plastic surgeries she had completely erased herself, leaving behind someone that looked beautiful, but with no ties to her past and to her family history. "Your plastic surgeon erased you. I'm sure that is what you wanted to do, but still you no longer look like you are connected to me and Russ in any way. You have the face of a stranger."

Startled, Max lost his composure momentarily. Not sure what his daughter was trying to say, Max hid his consternation with a smile. "The FBI was looking for me as well as some very bad people, Honey. I needed to erase the face they were looking for to protect myself . . . erase seems kind of harsh though. I changed the look of my face, but I didn't really erase myself. I'm still me, your Dad."

Since she didn't want to pursue that part of the conversation any more, Brennan sat down and folded her hands on the table before her. "Why did you leave me behind?"

The question was blunt and Max had expected it. "Your mother wanted to leave you behind to protect you. That old gang we robbed banks for didn't appreciate it when your Mom and I bugged out. They wanted us dead and they wouldn't have hesitated to kill you and Russ either. We thought Russ would take care of you, but we were wrong and I'm sorry."

So her father had confirmed what Booth had thought had happened. "You could have checked or had someone check on me." Brennan was not in a forgiving mood. Foster care had been horrible and she had almost died due to her father's neglect. "You should have checked."

He heard the pain in her voice and Max knew that fifteen years hadn't healed his daughter's scars. She hated him and now he knew it. "Honey, if I could undo it I would, but I can't. All I can do is be your father now if you'll let me."

For weeks her emotions had been warring inside her. She had told Booth that she didn't know how she was supposed to feel and the situation had not been rectified. She loved her father, but she also hated him and she couldn't reconcile those emotions. She wanted to know her father better, but she dreaded to discover just how much she didn't know about him. He was a murderer and a bank robber. Was there more to him that would make the situation even worse? "Booth wanted me to come and see you."

Which told Max that this visit wasn't his daughter's idea. "I like Booth. He's a good guy."

"He's a very good guy." Brennan was proud of the fact that Booth was such an honorable man and was nothing like her father. "He believes in the law. He is a dedicated FBI Agent and a decorated War Veteran. He's nothing like you, Max. I can trust him. I can always trust Booth unlike you."

Her words were like stab wounds, but he knew that his daughter had a right to be bitter. "I am who I am, Tempe. I do love you though. You and Russ are all the family I have in this world and I am so proud of what you've accomplished. No one helped you, you made a career all by yourself and a best-selling author too. It just amazes me all the things you've accomplished. I wish your mother was here to see the things you've done, the life you've made for yourself. She'd be so proud."

The words meant a lot to her, but she couldn't admit that to her father. "I worked hard to get where I am."

Max knew she was proud and why not? She deserved to be. "It's too bad your brother didn't inherit your smarts too. The poor kid was always so average and a follower, never a leader."

Affronted, Brennan shook her head. "There is nothing wrong with being average, Max." Brennan took great pride in her intelligence, but she considered Booth to be of average intelligence and yet he was insightful, brave and filled with a sense of right and wrong. "Russ could have had a normal life, but he chose to be a criminal. He could have done the right thing, but he didn't. He abandoned me just like you did. You and Mom and Russ, you all made the decision to be on the wrong side of the law. I chose the right side. I chose how I live and you coming back doesn't change anything. You're a career criminal and that is nothing to be admired."

"Honey I know you're disappointed in me." Max sighed. "When you grow up having nothing and you see so many people with everything . . . well, sometimes you want some of those things too. Your mother and I, we robbed safety deposit boxes to finance our lifestyle. We lived modestly. We never wanted to be rich. We just wanted to be happy and that took money that we didn't have."

Brennan shook her head. "You could have worked for a living, Dad." Disappointed in her father, Brennan stood up. "I have to go."

Max knew the guard outside the door was watching him so he remained seated. "Honey, I'm sorry. All I can do is say I'm sorry I wasn't the father you wanted me to be . . . will you come back to see me?"

Not sure, Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." With that she left the room not daring to look back at her father. She didn't want him to see the tears streaming down her face.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

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	40. Chapter 40

(After The Stargazer in the Puddle)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan had found it very amusing that Angela and Hodgins had fled their wedding when they found out that Angela was already legally married to someone else and she found it even more amusing that Hodgins was spending so much money trying to track down the missing husband so Angela could file for divorce. "See how ridiculous marriage is Booth? Angela got married in Fiji because of a whim and now she can't marry Hodgins because she's already got a husband. A husband she forgot she had. You have to agree that Angela isn't too serious about marriage if she can have a husband somewhere in the world and yet not remember that fact.

Wisely, Booth remained silent while he worked on a crossword puzzle.

Ignoring the fact that he hadn't answered the question, Brennan continued the conversation. "She doesn't even know the first husband's name and now Hodgins is using a detective agency to look for him."

His puzzle done, Booth folded the paper and tossed it in the trash. "Hodgins can afford to look . . . I'm not going to be able to go to lunch with you this afternoon. I have to go see someone at the prison, but I will be back in time to go to dinner with you for our date night. It's Friday, so traffic might be rough, but probably not too bad, at least I hope not."

"Alright." Puzzled that Booth hadn't mentioned the meeting earlier, Brennan filled two travel mugs with coffee and handed one of them to Booth. "Are you working on a case? Do you wish me to go with you?"

Booth didn't want to lie to his girlfriend, but he also didn't want to cause her any pain either. He decided to tell the outline of the truth. "Caroline wants me to interview a con at the prison. She's got a trial coming up and the guy gave us some information I need to check on. You know she doesn't like surprises during trials. She wants all the answers before she asks the questions."

"Okay." Brennan grabbed her purse and laptop and walked towards the door. "I'll probably go to lunch with Angela."

Before Brennan left the apartment, Booth caught up with her and kissed her. "Hey, see you tonight. I love you."

"I love you too."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Booth sat in the interview room at the prison, patiently waiting for the man he needed to see. There was a routine that had to be followed when prisoners were moved around the building and Booth was aware of it.

Soon the door opened and Max walked in. "Booth what are you doing here? Is Tempe okay?"

"Yeah she is." Booth remained seated and waited for Max to sit down. "I'm here for Ms. Julian. She's prosecuting Charles Hadley's case. He was the Special Agent in Charge at the Hoover before he was arrested as a co-conspirator for the murder of FBI Agent Augustus Harper . . . We have the notebook that you gave Bones, but it mentions some pictures that Gus had taken of some crime scene in Ohio and they weren't in with the notebook or in the safety deposit box where you kept the rest of Gus' evidence."

Max remembered reading in the notebook about some pictures, but they hadn't been in the safety deposit box that he and Christine robbed. "I don't know where they are. They weren't with the rest of the stuff that we stole. Is it important?"

"I'm not really sure." Booth was disappointed, but if Max was telling the truth they may never find the pictures. "Caroline seems to think so. We still have enough to convict Hadley with. It would just be nice if we could pile on. It would make it less likely that his case could be overturned. "

"Sorry, I can't help you." Max leaned forward and placed his arms on the table before him. "Is Tempe going to come see me again?"

Since Booth didn't know the answer to that question, he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know Max. She keeps saying she's going to come over here and then she doesn't . . . You know Max . . . she's special . . . she has a hard time understanding her feelings and right now you're just confusing the shit out of her. I know she loves you because she's said so, but man . . . what you and your wife did was wrong. You left her behind when she was 15 and she couldn't take care of herself. Russ . . . what a joke. Russ just dumped her into Child Protective Services and took off. She has a right to hate you and she kind of does . . . You knew she was special and you just left her behind." Booth stood up and paced over to the door, but instead of opening it, he turned to face Max.

Max knew from Booth's posture, that the agent was trying to place some distance between them. "Look Booth, we had a mechanic after us. He wanted to kill me and Christine and my entire family. You don't betray the kinds of people we did and live long. We had to separate ourselves from our kids. We hoped that even if we were murdered our kids would be safe."

"Except they weren't." Booth crossed his arms and leaned against the door. "Bones was almost killed in Foster Care. She was locked in the trunk of a car without food or water. Thank God a social worker came around and demanded to know where Bones was. When the family wouldn't say where she was the social worker searched the house and found Bones in the car in the driveway. I don't know what made her suspcious, but she saved Bones' life . . . Bones was just a kid, Max. She didn't understand how the world worked and she didn't understand motives or what made people tick. She still has that problem. She's socially awkward . . . hell I'm not telling you anything new. You knew it and you still just ran away leaving her behind . . . I don't know if she's going to come and see you or not, but I will back her up no matter what she decides. I'm her family . . . me and she's happy because I'm trying my damndest to make sure she is . . . If she does come back to see you, just . . . just be kind to her. She wants her father, but she's afraid you're just going to leave again. If you're convicted of murder you could end up on death row and in the end your death would just be more leaving. You should have just stayed away. You're causing her nothing but pain."

"You're a good man, Booth." Max had heard every word and he didn't object to anything that was said. "I had to come back. I'm getting old and I wanted to see my daughter before it was too late. If I'm convicted, then it will be awhile before they kill me and during that time, I want to be here for my daughter. I want Tempe to know me before I die. I love her Booth and I can't keep away anymore. I need to get to know her and her to know me. We can still be a family if she'll just let me. This trial will be worth it if my Tempe will forgive me and let me be her father. I just want Tempe to know that I love her and that I never meant to hurt her."

Max seemed sincere and Booth realized that this situation was a complete mess. If his girlfriend accepted her father back into her life, she could still lose him if the state won its case against him. She'd have to go through mourning for her father all over again and that filled Booth with dread. "I'll talk to her, but I don't know if I can get her to come back or not. She loved you and your wife so much and when you disappeared she just . . . she just closed herself off from the world. When I met her, she thought that love wasn't real because you taught her that. She thought it was all chemicals in the body and that those chemicals eventually wear off. Sometimes she says things to me that makes me think she still doesn't trust that love is real. That's all on you and her mother . . . and Russ, a brother she adored until he abandoned her too. I've tried to prove to her that love is real and that I love her and most of the time she believes me, but you know what Max? She still thinks I'm going to leave her someday. That won't happen, but I can't prove it. Only time will take care of that problem."

Booth's words were harsh, but Max sat still and took in every word. "I'm not going anywhere either Booth. If I'm convicted I'll be right here, ready to visit her whenever she wants to see me. If' I'm exonerated, I'm not leaving the District. I'm here to stay. Count on it because I mean it."

Not sure if Max was sincere or not, Booth hoped and prayed that the older man was telling the truth. "Good, I've got to go. I'll try to get Bones to come and see you. Fix this Max before you run out of time."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Diner had been wonderful and Brennan had appreciated the fact that Booth had picked a vegetarian restaurant. They took turns finding new restaurants for date night and Brennan had thought it was so sweet that Booth had found a restaurant that also served vegan dishes. She knew that Booth didn't like meatless meals so she appreciated it even more that he had been so thoughtful.

Walking side by side, their hands clasped loosely together, the couple moved down the street enjoying a little window shopping and just enjoying the fact that the night was cooler than normal. As they walked, Brennan finally broached the subject of her father. "While you were at the prison, did you see Max?"

"I did." Since Brennan was so relaxed, Booth thought it might be a good time to talk about her father. "He looks fine. He did ask me when I thought you'd be coming by to see him again."

Perplexed about her feelings about her father, Brennan felt more frustration than any other emotion at that moment. "I still don't know what I'm supposed to feel about Dad, Booth. He's a conundrum. He was a high school science teacher and a bank robber. I knew him as a kind compassionate man, but he's a murderer too. He killed the Deputy Director of the FBI and then gutted his body to send a message to his enemies. My father had dangerous enemies. I just . . . I just . . ."

He wanted to fix this problem for Brennan, but Booth knew that he couldn't. Stopping their movement, Booth turned to face her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "For the moment, why not forget about what Max was and just remember that he's your father. Just place that bit of your father in a box and deal with that."

"I can't forget that he's a murderer, Booth." Brennan stepped forward and placed her arms around her boyfriend. "I want to accept him, but he's the antithesis of everything I believe in. I don't know what to do."

Booth held her in his arms and tried to make her feel safe. "Bones, I don't know what to tell you. I think not seeing him is causing you more pain than avoiding him. I know you, Bones. Yes you're confused, but in this case I would be too. You need to give yourself permission to just be a daughter and go see your father. Give yourself permission to ignore the crap he's done in his life and just talk to him. I'm not saying you have to forgive him for abandoning you or any of the other shit he did. That's up to you, but by staying away, you're letting your past control your present. There's a lot of stuff not said between you two. Do you want to blow the one chance you have to get to know your father again?"

She thought it over for a moment and finally stepped back, kissing Booth before releasing him. "He is locked up, so it's not like he can run away again. I have control in this situation and it's a very odd feeling." Brennan turned so that once more they could continue their walk. As she took his hand in her hand, Brennan sighed. "I just wish I knew where Russ was."

"Ask him the next time you see him." Their movements slow but purposeful, Booth glanced at the front of an antique store as they passed it. Not betraying his interest, Booth made note of the address of the store and decided he'd come by sometime next week to check out the display he had just seen. "Let's go get some ice cream."

"Ice cream?" Brennan was flabbergasted. "We just finished dinner thirty minutes ago. How can you be hungry?"

Amused, Booth stepped up his pace down the sidewalk, causing Brennan to increase her stride. "Hey I know a little Italian restaurant down the street that sells homemade gelato."

"I guess a small dish won't be too filling." Brennan loved gelato and she knew that Booth knew that. She loved that he was trying to find a way to cheer her up. "Of course, we can always do some exercises later to work it off."

"Exercises." Booth laughed. "Just what I had in mind."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

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	41. Chapter 41

(Before The Widow's Son in the Windshield)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

"Bones come on, Zach has been gone for a few months now. You said you'd go out in the field with me as soon as you'd replaced him." Booth was getting aggravated with his girlfriend and he wasn't sure what to do about it. "How hard can it be to find another squint that specializes in bones?"

Annoyed that Booth couldn't see how hard it was to replace Zach, Brennan huffed. "He's very hard to replace. I have to find someone that I can trust while I'm in the field with you, but so far the candidates have been less than ideal."

Tapping the dining room table with his fist, Booth felt like Brennan was making everything too difficult and it didn't need to be. "I think it's important that you come in the field with me as soon as possible. I was pulled into Deputy Director Bishop's office yesterday afternoon and it wasn't good what he wanted to talk about."

His tone of voice made Brennan look up from her laptop. "I don't know what that means."

Booth wasn't sure how to break the news, but he knew that Brennan wasn't going to take his news very well. "Because I arrested your Dad and you haven't been going out in the field with me . . . well, the higher ups at the Hoover think we might be having relationship troubles and . . . "

"What?" Brennan interrupted her boyfriend and protested vigorously. "That's not true. You were doing your job when you arrested Dad. You didn't have a choice and I don't blame you for doing your job. I can't go into the field with you because I need someone at the Lab. I can't help you investigate and have the bones of the victims properly examined at the same time. I can't be in two places at once. Surely you must see that."

"And they're going to make us see a psychiatrist to see if they need to break up our partnership." He saw the panic in her eyes and he grabbed her hand. "Not us, personally, Bones. Come on, no one can break up our relationship. I'm talking about our partnership at work. They think we're having problems at home and it's affecting work. If you'd go out in the field with me, it might calm the bosses down some and I might be able to put off us having to see the psychiatrist . . . maybe."

Furious, Brennan pulled her hand from Booth's hand and stood up. Moving over to the kitchen doorway, she stood there and stared at her partner. "I don't believe in psychology. It's a soft science and it has no credible data to back up what they say. It's all feelings and guess work. They can't make me see a psychiatrist. I don't work for the FBI."

Not really surprised that Brennan was so angry, Booth remained where he was seated. "Bones, that's true they can't make you see anyone, but I do work for the FBI and I have to do what they say. If you refuse to cooperate they will break up our work partnership and there won't be anything I can do to stop it. They really think Max is the cause of you not working with me right now. No one is buying the intern search thing. No one Bones."

"Not even you?" Brennan stared forlornly at Booth and wondered why he didn't understand that Zach was so hard to replace. "Zach is a genius, Booth. I could trust him to examine remains while I helped you investigate. I have been unable to find anyone I can trust like I trust Zach."

"Do you blame me for Zach going to Iraq?" Booth had not wanted to keep Zach from doing his duty to his country and yet he knew that Brennan was afraid for Zach's safety. He knew that she loved that squint as a younger brother and she had cried the day that Zach had shipped out. He knew he had done the right thing by not interfering, but it was possible that Brennan didn't see it that way at all. "Maybe you don't want to go into the field with me because you blame me for Zach going to Iraq."

A sense of guilt swept through Brennan and she knew that Booth had stumbled upon her real reason she wasn't leaving the Lab. She did blame him, but she had been trying to deal with that. She didn't want it to ruin her relationship with Booth, but she felt that she couldn't work with him while Zach was in danger. It might be unfair to Booth, but she had responsibilities and Booth had not helped the situation at all. "I need to replace Zach, Booth. It's really that simple."

She hadn't answered the question, but Booth knew why. She was angry with him and she was punishing him. "Alright . . . If you don't want to see the psychiatrist then you don't have to. They will break up our team, but I guess if you don't want to work with me then that's okay. It'll be fine." Booth stood up and once more tried to make her understand about her intern. "Bones, Zach wanted to serve his country. I did and I felt proud to do it. Why deprive him of that honor? Why keep him from helping his country when they need him?" Booth moved over to the small table near the door and pulled his SUV keys out of the basket. Turning he gave his girlfriend a sad smile. "Why don't you go see your father today? It's a beautiful Saturday and I'll bet the ride might be nice . . . You haven't seen him for months and I'll bet he'd love to see you." Opening the door, he looked back. "I'm going to go to the Hoover and catch up on some paper work. I'll be back later this afternoon. I'm probably going to stop by the store and do some grocery shopping, you need anything?"

Brennan wanted to stop him and assure Booth that she wasn't angry with him about Zach, but she was a terrible liar and she knew it. "Yes, I could use some toothpaste, thank you."

"You're welcome." Booth knew that for an argument the words they had just exchanged had been pretty benign, but it still hurt him that Brennan was blaming him for something Zach had done. She didn't see the injustice of the situation and for now he would have to live with it. He just hoped she forgave him soon. If he was going to save his working partnership with her, she needed to cooperate at least a little bit.

Once Booth was gone, Brennan sat down on the couch and drew her feet under her. Tears streaming down her face, she felt confused and unsure. Booth could have stopped Zach but he didn't. Brennan worried that Zach would be killed or maimed and that she might never see her intern again. She loved Zach and she didn't want anything to happen to him. On the other hand she loved Booth more than anyone else in her life and didn't want to lose him either. She didn't know how to fix what she felt inside and it made her afraid. It made her very afraid.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Surprised that his daughter had finally come to see him, Max smiled, but was careful not to try to touch her. He didn't want her storming off like the last time. "Hey Baby, I'm glad you came to see me."

Brennan sat down and crossed her arms against her breasts. "Why did you punch Booth in the groin area when he arrested you the second time?"

"Um, I didn't want to give up too easy." Max could see Brennan was upset, but that punch had happened months ago. "I didn't hurt him did I? I aimed high enough not to hurt him or at least I think I did."

Her day filled with confusion and fear, Brennan shook her head. "You turned yourself in the first time and resisted the second time . . . why?"

Max shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I'm independent and a maverick. I didn't want to go down without a fight. You know I made sure it was Booth that arrested me the first time. I knew I could count on him getting me to the Hoover without any accidents. I was wanted for murder and I was afraid some trigger happy rookie would shoot me if they caught me. It had to be Booth . . . I didn't hurt him did I? I didn't mean to if I did."

"You could have caused an avulsion fracture or avascular necrosis." Brennan felt that Max was showing a very cavalier attitude about what could have happened. "As it is he just suffered from a contusion, but that is beside the point. He was just doing his job. You hurt him and all he was doing was his job."

He knew that he needed to be careful how he answered, so Max kept a very solemn look on his face. "Look, I'm sorry, Tempe. I didn't think at the time, I just reacted."

"That's your problem, Max. You seem to just react to a lot of things without thinking of all the ramifications." Brennan stood up. "Booth is a good man. He does his job and he tries to be fair and honest while he's doing it. He believes everyone should get a second chance when they make mistakes, even serious ones and he's been encouraging me to come and see you . . . He is a good man, a trustworthy man." Her own words resonated within her and Brennan suddenly knew how to fix her internal struggle. "I have to leave. I'll come by and see you next week."

"But Tempe, you just got here." Max helplessly watched his daughter leave and knew that getting her to forgive him was going to be a huge uphill battle. He would have to do it cautiously, but he hoped he would win her trust back some day.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Loaded down with grocery sacks, Booth entered the apartment and kicked the door closed behind him. Carrying them into the kitchen, he noticed that there were pots on the stove and a wonderful aroma filled air. After he emptied the bags and put up most of the groceries, he carried the tube of toothpaste Brennan had wanted to the bedroom intending to leave the tube in their bathroom. As he moved through the bedroom, he heard water splashing and knew that Brennan was taking a bath. "Hey Bones, here's your toothpaste."

Pleased to see her boyfriend, Brennan turned and smiled at him. "Would you like to join me for a bath?"

Surprised at the warm welcome, Booth smiled. "Well yeah if you want me to."

"I want you to." Brennan watched Booth slip out of his shoes and start to undress. "I was angry with you Booth about Zach, but I've realized that you really couldn't be anyone but yourself. You love our country and you're proud you served in the Rangers. You want that honor for Zach too . . . I'm still afraid that something is going to happen to Zach, but it was his decision to go not yours and if something does happen, it won't be your fault."

His day suddenly better, Booth hurriedly stepped out of his jeans and slipped off his boxers. "Thanks Bones . . . I . . . thanks." As he approached the tub, Booth felt a weight lift from his shoulders. "Are you willing to see the psychiatrist? We still need to see him if you want to be my work partner."

Once Booth was in the tub with her, Brennan leaned back and pulled his arms across her waist. "I don't seem to have a choice, so I will. I do it under protest, but perhaps the bosses at the Hoover will be appeased."

Pulling her against his body, Booth sighed. "We'll get through this mess, Bones. We always do."

"You're a good man, Booth." Brennan felt that he needed to hear those words and she was determined to say them often. "And I love you."

"I love you too Bones." Booth loved the feel of her naked body pressed against his. Her skin was so soft and smooth and he loved the way he reacted when he touched her. "Should we worry about the stuff cooking in the kitchen?"

Brennan laughed. "No, everything is fine for now. I think we have time to make love, don't you?"

Her laugh welcome, Booth grinned. "Definitely."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

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	42. Chapter 42

(The Widow's Son in the Windshield)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

After formally protesting to the FBI, Brennan accompanied Booth to the see their assigned psychiatrist. When they had entered the office, both had been shocked when they saw just how young their therapist really was. Before they sat down, Booth pulled on Brennan's arm and spoke quietly in to her ear. "Holy shit, I didn't know they were going to make us see a kid."

Brennan nodded her head and stared at the young man who was staring at them in turn. Using her normal voice, not even trying to lower the volume, Brennan responded to Booth's comment. "Clearly he's just graduated from school and had little or no personal experience to back up his profession. I was right to protest. This is clearly going to be a complete waste of time."

Insulted, Lance Sweets swallowed a retort and motioned to the small couch in front of him. "Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan please have a seat . . . I am Dr. Lance Sweets and I've been assigned to your case . . . please sit down."

His eyes hooded, Booth sat down and gave the young man what he considered his Ranger look. He was there because he had to be, but considered the young doctor to be his enemy and wanted him to know it. "We're here, let's get this over with. Dr. Brennan and I have work to do."

Aware of the intimidating looks from Booth, Sweets swallowed the alarm he felt and smiled instead. It was a weak smile, but he hoped it showed that he was not there to cause trouble and that he was not going to be intimated by the older man. "Alright, Deputy Director Bishop has assigned me to your case. Apparently you haven't been working in the field together for the last three months and the Deputy Director is concerned that it is because Agent Booth arrested your father for murder Dr. Brennan. He feels that your personal life is affecting your professional life. I want to remind you that you are both on probation and that if I determine that this is indeed the case then your partnership will be permanently severed."

Furious, Brennan leaned forward and leveled her gaze at the younger man, her sharp blue eyes boring into him. "I have not been working with Booth because my assistant, Dr. Zach Addy accepted a commission to work with the Army in Iraq. He was an indispensable member of my team and up until now I have not been able to find an adequate replacement for him. I felt it was better for me to be at the Lab working on the victims as they came in while Booth worked in the field. Recently I have hired Dr. Clark Edison to work at the Lab and I have returned to the field with Booth. We just completed working on a case . . . This has nothing to do with my father and his arrest. He was wanted for murder and he surrendered to Booth to insure that he wouldn't be gunned down by over enthusiastic federal agents or the police. Booth insured that my father was arrested and placed in custody without harm. That is a good thing not a bad thing and I am grateful for Booth's professionalism."

Surprised that Brennan had jumped in and defended them both, Booth smirked at the young psychiatrist. "You see, Bones and I are fine. Seeing you isn't necessary."

"Bones?" Sweets puzzled out what the older agent had said and turned to look at Brennan. "Your boyfriend calls you Bones?"

Since she didn't mind the nickname and Booth refused to call her anything else, Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "My partner likes to bestow nicknames on his friends and co-workers. I am a forensic anthropologist. I work with bones ergo he calls me Bones."

Booth considered the nickname perfect and didn't see a problem. "What does it matter if I call her Bones? She calls me Booth, so what?" His tone of voice was harsh and slightly forceful which cause Sweets to wonder why.

"So you two haven't been working together because you needed a replacement at the Lab?" Sweets stared at the couple and felt that there was more to the story than he had been told. "Why did you take three months to replace your assistant?"

Her gaze moving to her fingernails, Brennan pursed her lips and looked back at the doctor. "My field is a rather rarified one and I need the best to work with me. In fact I insist that only the best work at the Lab. We are considered the premier Lab in the country. Our standards are exact and we have been able to successfully solve cold cases that have stymied other Labs. I had a duty to find someone that could fill that position and not stain our reputation. I have found a new assistant and he seems adequate. Even though he has a degree he has returned to university to expand upon his degree which is a point in his favor. I think he will fit in and be of use. Once Dr. Addy returns from his assignment I may wish to retain Dr. Edison's services, but of course it will depend upon how well he does his job at the Lab. So far he has done well enough."

"So you're saying that this had nothing to do with your father?" Sweets slowly shook his head. "I don't think so. Your boyfriend arrested you father. Max Keenan is going to stand trial for the murder of Deputy Director Kirby and it will be a death penalty case. That has to have affected your relationship. Somehow I think you're using Dr. Addy's absence as an excuse not to work with Agent Booth."

"You think?" Booth was starting to get very angry. "You think? Damn Bones you were right. He's just guessing and he's going to guess us right out of our partnership . . . our working partnership." Booth placed his hand on Brennan's knee and gripped it, trying to assure her. "Well, don't you worry about it. They may break us up, but they'll realize quickly enough what a mistake that is when the solve rate for our division nose dives. I'm the head of my department and nothing says I have to go out into the field." His eyes were cold and his body was rigid with dislike.

Before the meeting got completely out of hand, Sweets held up his hand. "I'm here to help you and I can't do that if no one is willing to tell me the truth. This room is a zone of truth. You can say anything here and it will stay here. Dr. Brennan is clearly a logical person, but there is no way she's that logical. Her father is going to be tried for murder and you arrested him. You two haven't been working together and I think that this Dr. Addy you mentioned is just a screen you're both hiding behind."

His eyes flashing with raw anger, Booth stood up and loomed over the psychiatrist. "Are you calling Dr. Brennan a liar?"

Instantly alarmed, Sweets felt his stomach clinch in fear. "I'm not calling anyone a liar. I'm merely pointing out that Max Keenan's life is on the line and you had a hand in putting him in jeopardy. He's Dr. Brennan's father and that has to be a problem. There is no way that isn't a problem."

Afraid that Booth was on the verge of striking the younger man, Brennan placed her hand on Booth's arm and gripped it tightly. "Booth . . . please sit down."

Her touch brought Booth out of his raging thoughts and caused him to pause. Still angry that Sweets refused to accept what was going on, Booth sat down and leaned back against the couch. "It's your call, Bones. If you want to leave, say so."

"We're not done." Sweets desperately tried to keep his voice calm and firm, but he knew he was not in charge of the meeting at the moment. Turning to face Brennan, he was careful to keep his voice calm and as emotionless as he could. "Dr. Brennan if you leave, your partnership will be over. Is that what you want?"

Emotionally torn, Brennan bit her lower lip and finally leaned back against the couch. "We will stay, but it changes nothing. I do not lie. I wasn't in the field with Booth because of my search for an assistant not because of the arrest of my father. Max Keenan abandoned me when I was fifteen years old and he gave up his right to be my father from that day. I am more concerned about the fate of Dr. Addy whom I consider a friend as well as a colleague. I have found someone to assist me and I am working with Booth again. Meeting with you is a waste of our time."

Sweets was certain he had never met such forceful people like the couple sitting in front of him. Threatening their partnership didn't seem to faze them as much as he had thought it would. Clearly they were tops in their field and they were secure in their positions. They just didn't seem to care about his threats. "Look, Deputy Director Bishop wants you two to continue as a team, but surely you have to see why he's concerned. Your father is awaiting trial for murder. Agent Booth had a hand in his arrest. Max Keenan could very well die within the year. No one is immune to that kind of devastating news. I'm just here to make sure that you two can handle the pressure you're under right now. That pressure is only going to get worse as the trial date approaches. I need to make sure that that pressure doesn't spill over into your jobs . . . No one wants to break up your working partnership, no one. I'm just here to give you both the tools to get through this and believe me you need what I'm offering. You just can't see it yet."

Calmer, Booth listened to what the younger man said and realized that he might be over reacting just a little bit. "Bones isn't a liar." He needed to make that clear. "She's blunt and she says what she means. She doesn't sugar coat anything. If she was pissed at me about Max I'd already know about it."

Brennan nodded her head. "As I said, Max made sure that Booth was the one to arrest him, so that he would survive the arrest. Booth is an honorable man and Max knows that. How can I be angry with Booth about Max's arrest when Max was the one who put his arrest in motion? He could have stayed in Oregon. No one knew where he was. Max was the one who murdered two men . . ."

"Allegedly, Bones." Booth decided that it was time to stop pushing Max towards the electric chair. "He has to go to trial and be convicted before we can say he did that."

Grateful that Booth was reminding her of how the justice system works, Brennan nodded her head. "He allegedly killed two men. Booth had nothing to do with that. Booth is a Federal Agent and he did his job."

"Alright." Sweets was relieved that the tension in the room had lowered somewhat. "I'll accept what you're saying for the time being . . . The Deputy Director insists you two have therapy and if you want to continue to work together then you'll have to comply. We can use these sessions to work on your relationship and I can help you navigate through any trouble you two might be having. As the trial gets closer you can use me as a sounding board and we can try to navigate through the emotional storm you're going to be confronted with and you will be confronted with one . . . No matter how logical you are, your father is in danger of being put to death and that will affect you. Let me help you Dr. Brennan . . . Agent Booth. You can keep your partnership intact, but you have to see me once a week, at least until the trial is over. Surely an hour a week will be worth it to you."

No longer filled with anger, Booth turned to look at his girlfriend. "It's up to you, Bones. I won't make you do this if you don't want to. You know I won't make you do anything you don't want to do."

His voice quiet and sincere, Brennan appreciated the fact that Booth was willing to let her make the decision about their working relationship. "One hour a week will be alright. It will be a waste of time, but I do want to continue to work with you Booth."

Suddenly, things were looking up. "Okay, then we'll waste our time together. The kid can do his job and we'll do ours."

Never really in control of the meeting, Sweets was relieved that the couple had decided to cooperate. Deputy Director Bishop had made it very clear that he wanted this partnership to work and he was counting on Sweets to make sure it did. The underlying threat had been there for Sweets to understand. If Booth and Brennan stopped working together then Sweets was probably going to be in a deep pile of shit. "Good . . . good, so we'll meet once a week and we can talk about whatever is giving you trouble. It won't have to be about your relationship, just whatever you need to talk about and in the meantime if Max's trial gets to be too much for you guys, I'll be here for you too."

A quick glance at her watch and Brennan stood up. "Booth and I have to go." Without another word said to Sweets, the couple left the room leaving behind a rather stunned young man. "This is going to be tougher than I thought it would."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	43. Chapter 43

(The Widow's son in the Windshield)

Thank you for continuing to read my story. I appreciate it.

I really don't own Bones.

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So far Dr. Edison was doing a fine job assisting Dr. Brennan and for that Cam was grateful. The man had a very serious side and seemed to have no sense of humor, but that was fine as long as he did his job to the satisfaction of Dr. Brennan. Cam had known that working at the Jeffersonian was going to be stressful at times, but she hadn't counted on an employee like Zach actually volunteering to leave and causing havoc in the lives of her team. Cam hoped that Clark would prove to be a good replacement for the missing Zach and everyone would settle down.

Clark found the attitude of his fellow co-workers to be annoying since they all seemed to be gossipers and played more than was necessary, but he also knew that his position at the Jeffersonian was a once in a life time opportunity and he felt he could put up with the unprofessionalism if it allowed him to work with Dr. Brennan. So far she seemed to accept his help and he had great hopes of learning from someone as brilliant as she was.

Checking the platform once he entered the Lab, Booth noticed that all of the squints were on the platform including his girlfriend. Making a quick detour to Brennan's office, he placed a gift bag in the middle of her desk making sure the floral designed bag was square on the desk top and that the card was facing her chair. Satisfied, Booth left the office and walked over to the platform, swiped his security card in the reader and strode up the steps, two at a time. "Hey Bones, it's official my lease is finally up for my apartment and the Super contacted me to tell me that I have to move out in two weeks. He has someone interested in my apartment."

Pleased to hear the good news, Brennan placed the clavicle down she had been examining and turned to face her boyfriend. "Good, paying rent on an apartment no one is living in is ridiculous. We should be able to pack the rest of the things still at the apartment and store them in time for your contractual obligations to be met."

"Oh hey, I'll help you pack and move stuff." Hodgins was curious about Booth and he thought that helping Booth would be a great way to get a peek into the Agent's personal life. Packing Booth's stuff would let him be as nosy as he wanted to be without getting into trouble. "Just tell me when and where. I have a truck we can use to haul stuff to Dr. B's apartment and to whatever storage facility you want to use."

Surprised with the offer, Booth smiled at the entomologist. "Thank Hodgins. Bones and I have been packing stuff for the last few weeks, but we could use the help to finish up. I didn't realize how much stuff I had until we started packing. A lot of it is going to go into storage for now."

Not sure if his help would be wanted, Clark cleared his throat. "If you'd like more help, I'm available."

Booth flashed Clark a smile and nodded his head. "Thanks man, I appreciate the offer."

Cam was shocked that Clark had offered to help since the man was so aloof most of the time, but she was pleased that he was trying to be friendly. "I'll help too. I know you have a ton of knickknacks to move."

"Knickknacks?" Booth didn't like his valuable possessions lumped into that category. "I don't own any knickknacks."

Amused that Booth was so protective of his stuff, Cam nodded her head slightly. "I stand corrected."

Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye below the platform, Hodgins turned to see who was hovering on the bottom step and was surprised to see Zach. "ZACH!" Hustling to the stairway, the entomologist scrambled down the steps and rushed to hug his friend.

Startled with the unexpected appearance of her former assistant, Brennan rushed down the steps along with Angela. Standing on the platform next to Clark, Booth observed the beaming smile on Brennan's face and knew that she was happier than she had been since Zach had left. He felt a twinge of jealousy, but tamped it down immediately. Brennan belonged to him and her friendship with the squints was okay after all she needed friends even if he wasn't fond of some of them.

Slowly removing his latex gloves, Clark watched the impromptu party below the platform and wondered if his job had just evaporated. Trying to assure him, Cam placed her hand on his upper arm and smiled. "We really could use two experts Dr. Edison to help Dr. Brennan and I do have the budget for it if you'd like to stay."

As the crowd came back up the steps and onto the platform, Clark watched the group chatter with the returned Zach and wondered if he really fit in with this group. "Thank you." He knew he'd have to think about whether or not he wanted to stay.

Booth knew that Brennan didn't have time for him at the moment and since he had things to do in his office, he decided to leave. Not a fan of Zach, he decided to let Brennan and the rest of the squint squad enjoy their moment with Zach. "I have work to do Cam." Moving across the platform, he found it a little disappointing that Brennan didn't notice him leave, but he accepted it. Since Zach was back, he hoped that their need of a psychiatrist would evaporate. He hated talking to strangers about his personal business and he'd had plenty of experience with psychiatrists in the army and their need to dig and dig. He just wanted to be left alone and he knew that Brennan did too.

With a quick glance back towards Brennan, Booth was pleased to see that she was so animated talking to her assistant. When she was happy, Booth was happy. He'd talk to her later and see how she liked his present.

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The morning had been hectic with the return of her former assistant and once Cam had made it clear that Zach could have his job back, they had all gone to the Royal Diner for a long lunch. In her eagerness to enjoy the company of Zach, Brennan ignored the gift bag on her desk when she retrieved her purse and didn't remember it was there until two hours later when she returned to her office. Curious, she placed her purse in one of the drawers of her desk, sat down and pulled the bag towards her. Flipping the attached card open, she found a note written in careful script from her boyfriend. "I love you, Bones."

Surprised that Booth had left her a present without mentioning it or calling her about it, Brennan opened the bag and moved aside some snowy white tissue paper to see what was inside. Carefully, she removed the delicate object from the bag and placed it on her desk. Staring at the beautiful crystal daffodil, Brennan noticed the flower rested on a black stone base. The green glass stalk and leaves rose majestically up in the air and held the deep yellow flower at the top, allowing her to see the pistil when she faced the open flower. Feeling a little emotional, Brennan swallowed and thought about how she had ignored Booth when Zach had materialized earlier that day. He had brought her good news about his apartment and a gift and she had ignored him possibly making her boyfriend feel less important than she should.

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That evening, Brennan entered her apartment carrying her gift from Booth and once inside, carefully placed it on the bookcase near the hallway leading to their bedroom. Adjusting the flower so the pistil was clearly seen by anyone that chose to stop and observe the crystal flower, Brennan was satisfied that it was being displayed properly.

"Hey, happy anniversary, Bones." Booth moved across the living room, a dish towel over his shoulder and swept Brennan into a hug. "I see you found my present."

Completely confused, Brennan returned his kiss and placed her hand on his chest, staring into his soft brown eyes. "I don't understand. What anniversary?"

Used to Brennan's less than romantic nature, Booth pecked her lips and stared into her bright blue eyes. "Hey it's been three years since I formally met you. We can't really count the airport thing since we were too dumb to get each other's names, so we have to go with our first case even if that turned out to be um . . . problematic."

Unsure about his wanting to celebrate their first meeting, Brennan frowned and bit her lower lip.

"What's wrong, Bones?" Booth had thought celebrating their anniversary would be fun, but her reaction wasn't what he had hoped for.

"I don't have a present for you." Brennan was embarrassed and was reminded that she didn't understand social conventions as well as she would like to. "I didn't realize that our first case was an event to be celebrated . . . I'm sorry, Booth. I'm not very romantic and . . ."

"Hey." Booth smiled kindly at her and pulled her back into his embrace. "You're romantic enough for me. You worry about the day to day stuff like getting my stuff moved out of my apartment and I'll worry about our anniversaries. Both of us don't have to be romantic saps. One in the family is good enough . . . Now, I've got some mushroom risotto on the stove, a steak in the oven for me and some of that fake chicken you like in the oven too." Kissing her, Booth hugged her once more. "Don't worry about presents and stuff like that. You just be you. That's all I want."

Her arms holding Booth tightly in her embrace, Brennan felt so in love with her boyfriend. "Thank you for the present. It's beautiful and thoughtful." She sometimes worried that she wasn't romantic enough and that Booth would see she was no good at personal relationships and yet there were times he'd say the things he had just said and she knew he didn't care. She had never had anyone care so much about her. She loved the feeling and she loved him.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Is this still interesting?


	44. Chapter 44

(Soccer Mom in the Mini Van)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

She'd promised to return to the prison and she did. Max was like an albatross around her neck and she needed to understand why. Yes, he was her father and yes she loved him although she wasn't sure why since he hadn't done anything to earn her love. Max was an enigma and she thought it was possible she would never understand him.

"Honey, I know you want a nice neat story that explains who I am to you, but it doesn't work that way. Life doesn't work that way." Max was glad to see his daughter and he was trying so hard to make her see that he was there for her, but she was only interested in the past not the present. "I've always had a problem with authority. I fought the system whenever I could. Your mother understood. She was just like me. We never wanted to conform . . ."

"Do you realize how ridiculous you sound?" Brennan found the entire conversation to be ludicrous. "You weren't some anti-hero like in the movies, Dad. You killed the deputy director of the FBI. You're going to go to trial for that."

Annoyed, Max tried to be patient, but failed. "My God he was a murderer and he was going to kill you and Russ. I had to stop him."

"And you walked out on me and Russ." Brennan wanted to leave. The conversation wasn't clearing anything up and she was just as confused about his motives as she was before he was arrested.

"Honey, I've told you . . . bad people were after your Mom and me." Max knew he wasn't getting through and he didn't know how to clear up the mess their relationship was in. "I was an outlaw on the run . . . ."

Her patience running out, Brennan realized that she was too frustrated to continue their conversation. "You were a criminal." Brennan stood up, pulled a deck of cards out of her jacket pocket and placed them on the table. "These are for you."

"No for us, so we can play games." Max was pleased to see the cards, but not happy she wanted to leave so soon. "Come on, stay and play Blitz with me."

Disappointed that she was just as clueless about his motives as she had been before she had come to visit him, Brennan sighed. "I have work to do." Abruptly turning, she left the room, ignoring her father's pleas to stay.

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The case had been rough and at one point Booth had suspected his mentor Special Agent Sam Reilly of murder. He'd had a few drinks with Sam in his office after the case as a sort of a peace offering and now he was drunk, very drunk. _Bones, um . . . I'm drunk._

"Booth where are you?" Brennan had known that the case had not been easy for Booth, but she was surprised that he'd drunk so much liquor. Usually they drank a glass of beer or wine at the end of each case to celebrate, but Booth's former mentor didn't like her and the feeling had been mutual so she hadn't celebrated with them. Booth had tried to make peace with his friend and Brennan hadn't felt that she should interfere. "I'll come get you."

 _I walked over to the Lincoln Memorial. I'm too drunk to drive home and I'm too tired to walk home._

"I'm coming." Brennan found it very amusing that Booth didn't just call a cab.

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Once they were back at her apartment, Brennan helped Booth into their bedroom and helped him undress. "Bones I can undress myself." His mind a muddle he found it hard to concentrate, so he sat on the edge of the bed and stared at her.

"Yes you can." Unbuttoning his shirt, she helped him remove it and dropped it on the floor behind her. After unzipping his pants, she asked him to stand, but realized that that wasn't going to happen. Gently, she pushed his shoulders down and then helped him swing his legs over the mattress. Once he was lying down, she untied his shoes, slipped them off of his feet, placed them on the floor near his nightstand and pulled a blanket over him. She wasn't sure he was comfortable, but since he was drunk and couldn't undress even with her help, she had done the best she could do for him. "Booth." After she sat down on the edge of the mattress next to him, Brennan ran her hand slowly through his hair.

His eyes partially closed, her hand running through his hair felt good and it reminded him of when his mother used to do that after his father had given him a beating. "I'm a mess Bones. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Booth." Brennan wasn't sure why he thought he was a mess and she wasn't sure she should ask. "You got drunk. It's not that bad. I'm sure you've done this before."

Booth captured her hand and held it in his hand. "I love you Bones. I worry that I'm not good enough sometimes. I can't help you with your Dad and I want to, I really do, but I don't know how. I hate my father so much and my mother . . . at least you have a Dad, Bones. I only have you and Pops and Parker. I can't count on Jared . . . he's a . . . he's . . ."

The words were filled with melancholy and they reminded Brennan that she wasn't the only one that had a family that had failed them. "I'm fine, Booth. I really am. I've been visiting Dad . . . we've talked . . . We'll talk again." Her feelings a mixture of anger, regret and sadness when she thought of her father, Brennan decided that she needed to let at least some of the anger go. After she removed her shoes, she laid down next to Booth and placed her arms around him. "You do help me, Booth. More than you know. You help me understand what I'm feeling when I can't seem to do that on my own . . . You are good enough Booth. You are good enough for me."

His breathing soft, Brennan knew her boyfriend was asleep. "You shouldn't have drunk so much. You're definitely going to feel the effects tomorrow morning and we have to see Dr. Sweets."

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Booth thought that it was a good thing that he wasn't allowed to bring his gun into the psychologist's office. His head was pounding and he wanted peace and quiet, but the younger man's incessant talking made him want to strangle Sweets. "Look Sweets. I have a headache. I have the mother of all headaches. Just cut to the chase and let me go . . . let us go. Bones has her squint Zach back and she's visiting her father. We're working together and we're solving cases. Everything is fine. We don't need this."

"Why do you have a headache?" Sweets had noted Booth's appearance and he was sure he knew what Booth's problem was. "Did you get drunk last night?"

His eyes dark glittering orbs, Booth bore them into Sweets and wished that looks really did kill. "That really isn't your business. What I do after work is my business."

"You're wrong, Agent Booth." Sweets felt that Booth and Brennan weren't taking him as seriously as they should. "You got drunk for a reason. You're not an alcoholic so there must be some reason you felt like overindulging last night."

Trying to be as patient as he could be, Booth clinched his jaw and breathed in and out. He was just a hair away from blowing up and he knew he couldn't do that. "During our investigation it looked like a friend of mine may have killed someone. I had to arrest him . . . He didn't do it and we drank some of my Scotch to get our friendship back in line. I drank too much, okay? Am I supposed to ask your permission to drink now? What's the deal with you? My life is my life and . . . "

Brennan placed her hand on Booth's knee which seemed to calm him instantly. "Agent Booth doesn't overindulge often, but Agent Reilly wanted to have drinks with Booth. He was fulfilling a social obligation. It had nothing to do with our partnership or our relationship so it should be none of your business."

Fascinated that Brennan could calm Agent Booth with a touch, Sweets knew that their relationship was very deep and their connection was almost magical. "I'm here to help you both, Dr. Brennan. I've told you that there is great concern about the fact that your father is going to go on trial for murder and that Booth was the arresting officer. Yes, you seem to be handling the situation better than I thought, but as the trial approaches you may find that will change. You are both seeing me so that if you are having any trouble I can guide you through it. Agent Booth got drunk last night and I needed to know why. I had to make certain that you two hadn't had a tiff and Agent Booth was drinking because of it."

"A tiff?" Booth shook his head. "What are you my grandma?"

Sweets heard the raw anger in Booth's voice and he assumed it was because of the Agent's hangover. "A tiff, a fight, an argument, a few words of dissatisfaction. Whatever you'd like to call it, Agent Booth. I had to make sure."

Rubbing his eyes, Booth shook his head. "We're done, Sweets. I have a headache and I'm leaving." His eyes on Brennan, Booth stood up. "Bones, let's go. I think I have some aspirin in my desk."

Brennan stood up and hooked her arm around Booth's arm. "We'll check. If you don't I'll go to the store and buy you some. Perhaps next time when one of your friends wishes to drink with you, you will remember to stop before you get inebriated."

"Yeah, I'm too old for this shit." Booth walked with Brennan to the door and opened it for her. "Hey, if you go to the store, can you bring me back some Sprite. It might settle my stomach."

"Of course."

Once the couple was gone, Sweets closed his eyes and shook his head. His sessions so far had been useless, but he had a plan. He had some tests he could get them to do and that might move them along the path they needed to follow. Max's trial was coming up and he was afraid that Brennan wasn't as logical as she thought she was.

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Thank you for reading my story. Reviews would be great.


	45. Chapter 45

(The Mummy in the Maze)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

"Why didn't you tell me you're afraid of clowns?" They were standing outside the funhouse writing up a few quick notes before they got back into Booth's SUV and Booth took Brennan to the Jeffersonian to examine the mummy they had found in the house of horrors.

"I'm not afraid of clowns. I don't like them." Booth wasn't about to admit that clowns made his blood run cold. Staring into the face of a clown you couldn't see the emotions on the face of the person wearing the makeup. There was no way to read the face of the individual and that just left Booth confused and yes afraid. He couldn't help how he felt and reacted, but it bothered him that it made him look weak. "There is a difference you know."

Brennan was terrible at reading body language and facial expressions, but she did recognize fear when she saw it. Booth's body had been rigid, his eyes wild as he had stared at the mechanical clown and his inability to move until the clown had moved told her that her boyfriend was indeed afraid of clowns whether he admitted it or not. "Alright."

Irritated that she seemed to disbelieve him, Booth sighed, closed his notebook and started walking towards his truck. This case was bizarre and Booth wanted to close it as soon as possible. Two mummies, both of them teenage girls and so far no clues who had killed them or why he or she was turning them into mummies. "I just hope there aren't any more mummies out there. Two young girls . . . this is bad. I'm having that creep dressed as death brought in by Agent Romero. Maybe he has something to do with it, who knows, but it's a place to start."

"Alright." Brennan looked back at the fun house and shook her head. Perhaps Booth had a good reason to hide his fear of clowns, but she couldn't think what it could be. Perhaps he didn't really trust her. She thought their relationship was strong, but now she was beginning to worry that it wasn't.

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"Booth is afraid of clowns, but I didn't find that out until he was confronted by a clown replicant at a fun house last night." Brennan hadn't meant to say anything, but the fact that Booth didn't completely trust her enough to tell her about his phobia was very worrisome to her.

Appalled that Brennan would betray him and talk about him to their therapist, Booth turned to glare at her. "I'm not afraid of clowns. Why would you tell him that?"

Surprised that Brennan had revealed Booth's phobia, Sweets nodded his head. "Coulrophobia is not as rare as you may think Agent Booth and it isn't anything to be ashamed of."

"I'm not ashamed of anything and I'm not afraid of clowns." Booth considered leaving, but he knew that would mean they would talk about it in the future. "I hate them that's all and I don't like being around them. That doesn't mean I'm afraid of them." His eyes glittering like sharp glass, Booth continued to stare at his girlfriend. "And I don't know why you're telling Dr. Geek about it anyway. What does this have to with Zach or your Dad? Sweets said these therapy sessions are to help you get over the fact that your father is getting ready go on trial and I arrested him." Turning his attention on Sweets, Booth continued. "And I didn't do anything wrong. It was my job to arrest him. How can I be blamed for doing my job for God's sake?"

Before Sweets could answer, Brennan butted into the conversation. "I may have trouble picking up facial expressions like anger or irritation in most people, but I do recognize fear and I've been with you long enough to be able to read your emotional responses. You displayed fear of the replicant clown. Don't you trust me? Why didn't you tell me you're afraid of clowns? You could have actually imperiled our lives. I need to know about things like that just in case we're ever confronted by an armed clown."

"Trust? You think this is about trust?" Booth was flabbergasted. She was talking about him in front of the kid and it was humiliating. "I didn't tell you I'm afraid of clowns because I'm not afraid of clowns. I do not like them."

Starting to feel like she may have misunderstood what had happened at the fun house, Brennan bit her lower lip and thought about what had happened.

Thankful for the sudden silence, Sweets use the opportunity to say something. "These therapy sessions are not just for Dr. Brennan to talk about her father or her assistant. There are pressures on her and you, Agent Booth that will continue to build as the trial grows closer and you and she may speak about anything that is bothering either of you. Clearly, right now she thinks you don't trust her."

Frustrated, Booth stood up and stalked over to the window. Flipping the blinds up, Booth stared at the street below. The silence in the room lasted for a while until Booth turned away from the window and looked at Brennan ignoring Sweets. "Bones, I'm not afraid of clowns. I trust you okay? I do. You're my partner aren't you? You're my backup. Would I let you be my backup if I didn't trust you?"

"So you really aren't afraid of clowns?" Brennan thought it over and decided that it was possible that she had misinterpreted Booth's actions in the fun house and perhaps she should have talked to him and not Dr. Sweets. "Perhaps I should have talked to you about this earlier."

"You think?" Booth was very annoyed that he had been the topic of conversation in this therapy session and he was still afraid she might say something else in front of the psychologist to humiliate him. Brennan was socialy clueless and sometimes he felt there wasn't a governor between her brain and her tongue. "If you want to ask me something then ask me. Don't bring the kid into this."

"Dr. Sweets." Sweets was getting tired to Booth calling him a kid. "I am a licensed trained psychologist."

Brennan was now staring at the younger man. "A degree and license in a field of psychiatry has little value since psychiatry is a soft science and doesn't have hard data to back up your field of study. I might as well roll dice, it would certainly have the same rate of success as your guesses do."

Amused, Booth sat back down next to Brennan and stared at Sweets with a look of glee on his face. Sweets on the other hand was insulted and almost speechless. Almost. "Just because you hate psychiatry doesn't mean that my field of study is without value. If what you said is true, then why mention Booth's phobia? You mentioned it for a reason. Perhaps you wanted my help in trying to understand why he didn't trust you with the knowledge of his phobia."

His smile gone, Booth glared at Sweets and tried to control his temper. "I'm not afraid of clowns for fucks sake. I hate them. Drop the subject."

Brennan stared at Sweets for a few seconds and then at Booth. "I'm sorry, Booth. I should have talked to you in private. I was worried that you didn't trust me with certain aspects of your life, but I also know that I am not adept at reading faces and I probably misinterpreted what I saw."

Feeling guilty, Booth glumly nodded his head and was thankful that their hour was up with Sweets. Standing up, he offered his hand and was grateful when Brennan clutched his hand and stood up. Brennan picked up her purse and slung it across her shoulder. "Would you like to stop off and buy dinner on the way home? We could eat the leftover soup we made yesterday."

"The soup is fine." Booth followed Brennan out of Sweets' office without looking back. He wasn't sure if Sweets was fine with the session or not, but Booth knew he wasn't.

Once the couple was out of the room, Sweets made a few quick notes and then dropped his notebook on the coffee table. "Someday, I'm going to control one of these sessions and then look out."

Ooooooooooooooooo

Lying in bed, Booth couldn't sleep and he knew that he was keeping Brennan awake with his tossing and turning. "Look Bones, I'm sorry . . . You were kinda of right. I'm a little afraid of clowns, but it isn't enough for you to worry about it. I didn't tell you about it because I didn't want you to think that I'm a coward . . . I'm not always afraid of clowns, mostly I just hate them. It just depends on the makeup I guess . . . think about it. These guys wear makeup and that hides their facial expressions. No one knows what they're thinking. Sure they can be harmless, but what if they aren't? I mean how would I know? They could be getting ready to attack me or someone else and I wouldn't be able to pick up on it . . . I trust you, Bones. I trust you a lot, but . . . this clown thing it's . . . it's stupid."

She heard him out and when he was finished, Brennan turned over on her side and stared at her boyfriend. "I don't think you are coward Booth just because you don't like clowns . . . I wish you would have trusted me though. How can I protect you if I don't know what I'm protecting you from?"

Booth turned on his side and stared at his girlfriend. "You're going through a lot of shit right now, with your Dad and with Zach being away for a while and I just didn't want to add whacko boyfriend to the list." Booth placed his palm on her arm and gently ran his hand up and down it, from her shoulder to her elbow. "Everyone is afraid of something. It's human nature to hide it from everyone because it can make you look foolish. I'm sorry, I didn't tell you . . . okay? I trust you."

His words seemed heartfelt and Brennan knew that Booth wouldn't do anything to hurt her on purpose. It just wasn't something he'd do. "I think I understand, Booth and I'm glad you trust me."

"I do." Booth leaned over and kissed her. "I trust you. The next time you have questions about me or us, just ask me. Please don't spring that stuff on me in front of Sweets. Give me a chance to talk to you first. If you don't like my answers then maybe we can talk to the kid, but give me a chance first."

Brennan kissed Booth and smiled. "That seems fair."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Once their case was over and they were home standing in the living room, Booth turned to confront his girlfriend. "Oh my God, Bones, why didn't you tell me you're afraid of snakes?" The fight with the clown had been a close call and for a while Booth hadn't been sure he or Brennan would survive. He had been up against a man armed with a pump shotgun and he had been down to his last bullet when he'd killed the EMT dressed up as a clown. During that nightmare he had been confronted with the fact that Brennan was afraid of snakes.

Still shocked with the discovery, Brennan could only shake her head. "I didn't know I was afraid of snakes. It makes absolutely no sense. I've been confronted with snakes on digs and I've never reacted like I did tonight. Never. I just don't understand it."

He saw how embarrassed she was about the situation and Booth wanted to end the conversation. "Maybe because it was a room full of them. I mean that's not normal. You usually just come across one or two once in a while not hundreds all at once. You had a right be afraid."

"Thank you, Booth." Brennan appreciated that Booth was being so understanding and his logic sounded correct. "Perhaps. Also I think I owe you an apology. You were confronted with someone dressed up as a clown and you didn't freeze or run away. You stayed and you fought him. You saved our lives. I guess under certain circumstances you aren't afraid of clowns. It is odd, but similar to my situation and completely understandable."

"Thanks Bones." Booth smiled and moved closer to his partner. "You know this Wonder Woman costume is so damn hot . . . I mean, it's taken a lot of will power on my part to keep my hands to myself tonight . . . I guess you could call me Superman because damn you're definitely my kryptonite."

Amused, Brennan placed her arms around him and leaned against him. "I've read the Superman mythology and I understand your reference. It is very flattering."

Holding her in his arms, Booth stared at the glass daffodil sitting on the bookcase and felt sick every time he thought about how close he had come to losing Brennan that night. He had been afraid of the clown, but he had fought him with all of his strength because he had too much to lose. He couldn't lose Brennan and he would die protecting her. "Well, it's the truth."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	46. Chapter 46

(The Knight on the Grid)

Thank you for your continued interest in my stories. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

When the package came, Booth had been the one to retrieve the mail. After carefully sorting the mail he had two piles, a small one of mostly bills and ads for him and a larger pile of who knew what for Brennan.

Brennan arrived an hour later to find Booth cooking dinner. "We still haven't ID'd the victim yet." Tired from a long day, Brennan entered the kitchen and poured a glass of wine for herself and one for her mate. Handing him the glass, she kissed Booth and smiled. "It's nice coming home and not having to cook. Thank you."

Returning the kiss, Booth turned back to the stove to check on the lamb chops he was frying for himself. "I have a quinoa black bean burger in the oven baking. I've already put a salad together. It's in the fridge."

"It sounds delicious." Brennan was impressed that Booth was getting so adept at cooking vegetarian dishes for her. He didn't eat them, but he wanted to learn how to cook for her, which Brennan found a sweet thing to do.

The sudden sound of someone knocking on the door diverted Brennan to the front door while Booth stayed in the kitchen tending his meal. Out of curiosity, Booth peered into the living room once the door was open to see who Brennan was talking to, but didn't recognize the woman and went back to cooking duty. As he moved across the room, he glanced at the mail on the counter and noticed one of the envelopes in Brennan's pile of mail was oozing what looked like blood. "What the hell?"

Cautiously, Booth grabbed a paper towel and used it to move the envelope away from the rest of the mail. The sound of sizzling and the smoke rising from the skillet reminded him that he was seconds from turning his lamb chops into charcoal. After removing the skillet from the eye of the stove, he turned off the eye and turned back to look at the envelope.

As he was using a knife to turn the envelope over, Brennan came back into the kitchen. "That was Amy, Russ's girlfriend at the door. She wants to know where he is. I told her I . . ." Booth's odd behavior had caught her attention. "What are you doing?"

The front of the envelope was so saturated with the bloody looking fluid that it completely covered Brennan's name and address. "One of your letters is bleeding, I think."

That pronouncement rather surprising, Brennan stepped closer and took the knife from Booth. With the additional aid of a steak knife, she slit the envelope open and found two human patellas inside.

"What the hell, Bones." Booth was shocked and that emotion quickly turned to anger. ""Those kind of look like knee caps."

"They are." Brennan studied them without touching them. "I wouldn't be surprised if they belonged to the victim that was found in the garbage."

A chill running down his spine, Booth turned to look at his girlfriend. "Someone is playing games with you, the sick bastard."

"I need to go back to the Lab." Brennan grabbed a gallon storage bag and placed the patellas and the bloody envelope into it. "There is something special about these patellas and I'm going to find out what it is."

A quick glance at the lamb chops and Booth decided that Brennan wasn't going anywhere without him. "Let me get the burger out of the oven and I'll go with you. Some psycho knows where you live and there is no way you're going to the Lab by yourself."

"I can take care of myself, Booth." Brennan shook her head in annoyance. "Stop being so protective. If this person wanted to harm me I'm sure they would have done it by now."

The vegetarian burger out of the oven and the oven turned off, Booth snorted. "I've already been through you being kidnapped once and being buried alive. I'm not going through that again and that's a fact."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Trying to draw out the murderer of Father Doug Cooper, Booth and Brennan had the silver skeleton that had been found in the bank vault a few weeks earlier moved to Bethesda with enough agents following the truck to insure the demented murderer's capture if he tried to steal it back. Except the murderer didn't intend to intercept the skeleton, he tried to kill Booth and Brennan who were following in a taxi and almost succeeded. If Booth hadn't been quick and backed the taxi away from the bomb thrown in the street, the partners would probably have been killed.

After the taxi rolled over and landed on its wheels, Booth was momentarily stunned. The sight of Brennan bleeding in the seat next to him galvanized him to move. After he found he couldn't get the doors open, he pulled himself from the seat, fell out of the window and rushed around the taxi. Silently praying as he reached her, Booth was grateful to find that Brennan was conscious. Since she was stunned Booth realized that he would have to pull her out of the car. With blood streaming down her face, Booth's heart rate beat wildly as he struggled to free her from the cab. He didn't know how badly his girlfriend was hurt and once she was out of the taxi he placed her gently on the sidewalk next to the totaled cab. After a quick inspection, they both realized that she had just suffered a laceration on her forehead and a tooth was embedded in her arm. It had been part of the bomb and that fact infuriated Booth to no end.

Once he figured out what was going on, Booth left Brennan behind to be taken care of by arriving paramedics and hurried to the lobbyist Ray Porter's house where he saved the man's life from the murderer of Father Cooper. It was a close call and the murderer had escaped leaving behind a shaken lobbyist, a crying child whom the murderer has used as pawn to escape capture and a very angry FBI Agent.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

It had been a long week and Booth was ready for the weekend. Brennan's brother had shown up and Booth had arrested him. Max had lied to Russ and had told him he could visit his step-daughter at the hospital and he would be fine. He wasn't fine and in the end, with Booth's behind the scenes manipulations, Russ was given some jail time for breaking parole and 18 months was added to his parole time, but all in all, it could have been a lot worse. Both Russ and Brennan were angry with their father for manipulating Russ, but for now Brennan decided to accept what Max had done and just move on.

Both Brennan and Booth had found that they had multiple bruises after being rolled in the taxi, but all in all their wounds were minor and they both knew that they had been lucky.

"You know Bones, our lives are a little too exciting sometimes. We have a serial killer we need to find. Because of your brother's gullibility he shows up at the Hoover when it was the last place he should be near so I had to arrest him. We get blown up in a taxi and walked away from that, then I have to rescue a corrupt lobbyist from Gorgonzola and to top it off when I tried to capture that maniac he tried to drown a kid and I had to rescue the boy. Oh and the bomb Gorgonzola used had teeth in it and you got one of them stuck in your arm. I feel like we're living in an action movie sometimes and Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to walk through our door and say he's back."

"It's Gormogon not Gorgonzola, Booth." As Brennan removed her jewelry and placed it in a jewelry box, Brennan stared at her boyfriend in the dresser mirror. "Gorgonzola is a type of cheese."

Booth sat down on the bed and removed his shoes. "I don't believe in giving killers cute names so Gorgonzola makes as much sense as Gormogon. The man is dangerous and giving him a nickname just makes him seem more benign than he really is. You can call him Gormogon all you want, but don't count on me doing it. We need to catch him as soon as we can. He's too dangerous."

"We will Booth." Brennan was confident that she and her team at the Lab would be successful. Now that they knew more about Gormogon, Brennan was certain that they would eventually track the man down and get him off the streets. "We have the clues from the bank vault. We can link him to his mentor Arthur Graves and the younger man that killed himself, his apprentice. All of these things will lead us to him eventually."

Confident in his partner, Booth smiled. "Yeah, that guy made a big mistake coming after us. We will get him." Watching Brennan remove her blouse and slacks to get ready to bathe, Booth frowned at the sight of the many bruises on her body. "When that taxi rolled, I was scarred shitless that you might have been seriously hurt. I can't believe we didn't break something or get killed."

Brennan removed a t-shirt and shorts from the dresser and turned to face her boyfriend. "We were hurt, but it was due to your vigilance that we weren't killed. Throwing a satchel bomb at our cab was totally unexpected. You're quick reflexes is what saved us."

The large purple bruise across her chest was worrisome, but Booth knew it had been caused by her seat belt holding her in place. Standing he moved over to where she was standing and gently placed his finger next to the dark bruise. "Are you in pain?"

"Not really." Brennan was sore and she had a slight headache, but she didn't really consider her aches to be worth worrying about. They were more annoying than anything. "It's just bruises and cuts, Booth. I'm not any worse off than you are."

Booth leaned over and kissed her. "If I had lost you . . ."

His words were spoken so softly that Brennan wasn't sure she was meant to hear them, but she had heard them and she understood the meaning behind them. "I'm fine Booth. Don't worry so much. The bruises will fade in a few weeks and the cuts are minor. The laceration just needed a few stitches and I don't think it will leave a scar."

Afraid to hold her because of the bruising on her arms and chest, Booth kissed her once more and stepped back. "Hey worrying is what I do, you know that. I love you, Bones. Go get a bath and I'll go make sure the place is locked up and I'll bring you a glass of juice. No wine or beer while you're taking meds, that's what your doctor said."

"I know." Brennan moved over to the bathroom door as Booth walked into the hallway. "Instead of juice a bottle of water would be better."

"You got it Bones." Booth left the bedroom, stepped into the living room and after making sure the front door was locked, he paused and said a prayer. "Thank you for looking out for my Bones, God. I can't lose her, so thank you."

Ooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	47. Chapter 47

(Santa in the Slush)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

"Since Parker is not going to be with us this Christmas, why don't we go away for the holiday?" Brennan absolutely hated Christmas and she dreaded the fact that Booth wanted to celebrate it at home with her. "We could go to the Caymans and just enjoy ourselves."

Booth knew that Brennan hated Christmas because of her family and the fact that she didn't believe in God or Jesus, but just because his son wasn't going to be with him didn't mean he couldn't celebrate with the woman he loved. "Bones, I know this isn't your favorite time of the year, I get it, but I don't want to celebrate Christmas in some tropical island setting. I want to see snow and want to see the Christmas decorations the stores put up and I want to shop with Christmas music playing in the background. I promise I won't overdo it, but we could get a small tree and decorate it and exchange presents and on Christmas Eve, I could cook us a feast and we could watch old movies. It'll be fun, I promise."

She heard his plans and even though he considered them to be subdued they were anything but and she really hated his ideas for the holiday. "If you don't want go to away, then that's fine. I've been offered a position at a dig in Guatemala and I was thinking about going. You could spend time with Hank for the holiday and I could enjoy myself too. I would only be gone for four weeks . . ." The look on his face told her that he was upset. "Booth you know I told you when we became a couple that I would continue to go on digs. It's what I do."

"But . . . but it's Christmas." Booth was shocked that Brennan wanted to abandon him after she knew that Parker wouldn't be with him. "It's a time for families to be together."

Even though she felt guilty, Brennan really thought her idea was best for both of them. "It will just be for four weeks and you will have a better time celebrating the holiday with Hank than with me."

Disappointed, Booth stood up and picked his still full plate from the table. "Go ahead, Bones. You do what you think you have to do." No longer hungry, he walked into the kitchen, scraped the food from his plate into the trash can and placed the dish in the dishwasher. Certain if he stayed he might lose his temper, Booth walked back into the living room, grabbed his jacket and retrieved his badge and gun from the safe. "I have some work I need to catch up on. I'll be back later."

"Booth." Brennan knew that her boyfriend was upset and she thought they should talk about it. "Booth I'm not going to the dig to hurt you."

Not interested in her explanation, Booth left the apartment hoping that he would calm down and accept that his girlfriend was going to leave him during his most favorite time of the year. He was going to be alone and he obviously didn't get a say in the situation.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Booth was working on his quarterly budget and the numbers were starting to run together on the page, so he knew a cup of coffee might be in order. While he was in the breakroom, he studied the snack machine and tried to make up his mind whether or not he was hungry. His stomach was in knots and in the end he decided that coffee was all he could handle. As he walked back to his office, he heard the elevator ping and was surprised to see Dr. Sweets leave the car and walk towards him.

"Agent Booth, I saw your car in the garage and I thought I'd come up and see how you and Dr. Brennan are doing." Sweets was wearing a festive tie and socks and was in a happy mood. He loved Christmas and even though this was the first Christmas he was going to celebrate without his parents, he was determined to have a good holiday.

Annoyed that the psychologist was bugging him, Booth ignored him and walked to his office, the younger man following him. After he was sitting down at his desk, he checked his emails to see if Cam had any more information that was relevant to the case he and Brennan were working on. No emails and Booth knew that he would have to talk to the doctor if he wanted to get rid of him. "Bones and I are doing fine. I have work to do."

Sweets ignored Booth's surely attitude and sat down in front of Booth's desk. "Why are you working tonight? Shouldn't you be home?"

"If you must know, I have a budget I need to finish up before I can take off for Christmas." Booth didn't want to continue the conversation and he hoped Sweets would just leave.

No such luck, Sweets nodded his head and remained seated. "It's almost Christmas or pretty close to it anyway. Shouldn't you be home decorating a tree and buying presents and stuff like that."

His emotions boiling under the surface, Booth needed someone to talk to and since the youngster wouldn't go away, the agent thought it might be okay to use him as a sounding board. After all, Sweets was his therapist. "My son is going to be out of town for Christmas and Bones is considering going on a dig. I'm pretty sure my Christmas has turned to shit."

He heard the anger in the agent's voice and that worried Sweets. "Why would Dr. Brennan be considering going on a dig at this time of year?"

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "She hates Christmas. You know her story, her parents abandoned her a few days before Christmas when she was fifteen and she's blamed God ever since . . . well, she doesn't believe in God, but that might have happened when her parents left, who knows. Anyway, she doesn't want to spend Christmas with me because she hates everything about the holiday . . . I love Christmas, but with my son in Connecticut and Bones in Central America it might as well be an ordinary day."

"Couldn't you celebrate with your grandfather?" Sweets wanted to help Booth, but wasn't sure how to do it. "It wouldn't be the holiday you wanted, but you could still be with a family member."

"That's what Bones said too." Booth was so frustrated with Brennan he wasn't sure what to do. He loved her so much, but sometimes she pushed him away at the worst times and it made him feel like he wasn't good enough for her. "I don't know . . . I don't know what I'm going to do. My grandfather usually celebrates with my brother Jared if he's in town. Jared gets with Pops during Christmas and I usually get with Pops on Easter. That way Pops won't be alone during the holidays. We've been doing that for a few years now . . . This case we're working on will probably be wrapped up in a few days . . . Bones should get to do what she wants to do, so I guess I'll just stay home and . . . " His voice trailed off as he stared at the small wrapped present he'd placed on the edge of his desk earlier that morning. It was Brennan's Christmas present and he hoped she liked it when she opened it, if she opened it. "What are you doing for Christmas? Spending it with your folks?"

A sudden sense of loneliness hit him and Sweets knew that he was kidding himself if he thought his holiday was going to be fine. "No, both of my parents died last Spring. I am celebrating though. I have a tree in my apartment and I've volunteered at a homeless shelter. I'm going to help cook Christmas lunch there. It will be nice. My father and I used to do that every Christmas morning and then we'd go home and my mother would have dinner waiting for us. She was the best cook. Her turkey and sweet potatoes . . . so anyway I have plans just not with family, but that's okay."

Embarrassed that he was whining about his Christmas when he still had family alive and well and that loved him, Booth blushed and nodded his head. "Hey, if you want to, drop by our place around two on Christmas. Bones may not be there, but I'm planning on cooking dinner anyway. I have a small ham in the fridge thawing out. I plan to cook baked potatoes and roast some mixed vegetables and I think I'm going to have some mac and cheese and some rolls and I plan to buy some pies. I'll have plenty. We can watch a game afterward or maybe a movie."

Hesitating, Sweets wasn't sure if he should accept. He was Booth's therapist and it might not be a good idea to meet with him socially. "Let me think about it."

"Sure." It seemed like Booth couldn't even get the boy to spend Christmas with him and he wondered what he was doing wrong to make so many people reject him like that. "It's up to you. I'm going to have a tree. It's for Parker when he comes back from skiing. I have some presents for him . . . come or not, it's up to you." Tired and sad, Booth stood up. "It's time for me to go home."

Sweets watched the agent leave his office and he was certain that he hadn't helped the agent at all.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan was asleep when he got home and because he didn't want to wake her, he slept in the guest bedroom and the next morning left early to check on some leads he had to follow up for their case. Later that morning, he called Brennan and invited her to go with him to do some interviews and she accepted.

As they worked the case that day, both avoided talking about the Christmas holiday and finally cracked the case. Because she hadn't seen her father in a while, Brennan drove up to the prison for a visit. Once she was there, she knew she had made a mistake because her father wanted to celebrate Christmas with her and Booth. She had told him about the dig and he seemed to take the news poorly. Angry that everyone was trying to make her feel guilty about a holiday she despised, Brennan made up her mind and decided to go on the dig. After she returned home, she found Booth in the living room decorating a small tree. His tree one more poke at an open wound, Brennan informed Booth of her plans and surprisingly, he smiled at her and accepted her news.

"I hope you find what you're looking for Bones." Booth had decided that he was going to celebrate Christmas and no one was going to make him feel guilty doing it. If no one wanted to spend the holiday with him then it was their loss. He was going to enjoy the holiday no matter what happened. "I'll miss you of course, but I want you to be happy, so I'll see you when you get back. I'll be right here waiting for you."

So pleased to hear Booth's words, Brennan hugged him and kissed him. "Thank you for understanding Booth. The dig is important and it's possible that this dig could change history. Three skeletons have been found at the site and they need me to help identify the remains."

Her excitement told him that he was making the right decision, by letting her go without a fight. "That's great. I'll look forward to reading about it one of your squinty magazines." Kissing her once more, he turned back to his tree and continued to decorate it. "Make sure you call me every day and let me know how you're doing."

Relieved that Booth was being so kind and understanding to her, Brennan smiled. "I will." His tree was well formed and the decorations were pretty. "I like your tree."

"Thanks Bones." Booth placed the Angel on top and stood back to admire it. "Some of the decorations belonged to my mother. They belonged to her mother so they're kind of old, but I love them."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

On Christmas Eve, Brennan took a cab to the airport while Booth went to his office to finish up his paper work. He needed to finish it before he took off for Christmas and he knew he could wrap it up in a few hours. While he was working diligently, he was almost finished when a policeman escorted his son into his office. Torn with the idea that his little boy had run away from home to be with him, Booth explained to Parker that he could never run away like that again. It was too dangerous, but he also praised him for finding a policeman to help him find his father. He admired the ingenuity of his small son and was secretly pleased that his boy was so resourceful.

After a call was made to his very angry ex, Booth was surprised that Rebecca relented and let Parker stay with him for Christmas. Booth pledged to drive the boy up to Connecticut the day after Christmas and Rebecca said that was fine although she meant to have a long talk with her son when she saw him.

Now that he wasn't alone for the holiday, Booth's mood was suddenly buoyed and while Parker had a Coke and a snack, Booth finished his paper work and they left. Before he went home, Booth drove up to the prison where Max and Russ were and carried in a small cake with Parker closely walking behind him. The guards usually didn't allow cakes to be brought in, but since Booth was an FBI Agent and he allowed them to cut up the cake to make sure he wasn't bringing in contraband he was allowed to bring the cake to the interview room. Once there Booth sat quietly with Parker on his lap while they waited. After a while Max and Russ were brought to the interview room and Booth stood up with Parker to greet them. "Merry Christmas." Booth pointed at the cake. "I brought some chocolate cake. The guards cut it up, but it should still be good."

Puzzled, Max sat down and stared at his daughter's boyfriend. "Where's Tempe?"

Booth shrugged his shoulders and sat back down with Parker once more on his lap. "She has this dig she wanted to go to. It's really important and they needed her. She wouldn't have been happy hanging around here anyway, so why make her stay? She hates Christmas. It's all good." Booth patted his son's knee and smiled. "This is my son, Parker."

"Merry Christmas." Parker was a little nervous around these strange men, but since his father said they were relatives he accepted them. "I picked out the cake."

Max smiled and picked up a piece of cake. "Thank you. That was very thoughtful and Merry Christmas."

Angry that his sister had chosen to be in a foreign country instead of with her family, Russ went to the door and opened it. "This is stupid." Once outside, the guards escorted him away.

Embarrassed that his son had been so rude, Max shook his head. "He's not doing well here."

Since he wasn't that concerned about Russ, Booth reached over, picked up a piece of cake and handed it to his son. "Bones will be back in four weeks. I'm sure she'll come and see you then. She just needs to get away for a while. She's been working hard and stuff has been tough for her for a while. She needs this break."

"Okay, I get it." Max didn't understand at all, but if Booth was okay with it then he supposed everything was as fine as it could be. "Tempe was always stubborn. If she didn't want to do something she'd find a way not to do it. Thank you for bringing the cake. I appreciate it. Thank you Parker."

"You're welcome." Parker spoke around the piece of cake in his mouth. He wasn't sure why the one man had left, but the old man sitting at the table seemed nice. "We're going to watch Christmas movies when we get home and drink egg nog and Dad bought some Christmas cookies and we're going to have fun."

Amused, Max remembered when his children were small and how much fun they had been to be around. "That sounds like a lot of fun." Max winked at Booth. "Sounds like a great Christmas Eve to me."

A genuine smile on his face, Booth agreed. "It would have been great if Bones had stayed, but we'll exchange presents when she comes home. We're okay. Christmas can be rough on people."

His piece of cake finished, Max pointed at the rest of the cake. "You might as well take that home for Parker. Thank you for coming to see me."

"You're welcome."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Entering the apartment, Booth noticed the lights were on in the living room when they should be off. After he placed the cake down on the table next to the door, he placed Parker behind him and drew his gun. "Whoever is here, you might as well come out. I know you're here."

Stepping out of the bedroom, Brennan held up her hands and laughed. "I knew you'd do that."

Shocked, Booth holstered his gun and rushed over to where Brennan was standing, picked her up and swung her around for a few twirls. Once that was done, she set her down and kissed her. "Why are you here?"

Brennan returned his kiss and replied, "We're family, Booth. Family belongs together during Christmas." She noticed Parker standing near the door and moved away from her boyfriend towards his son. "Parker, Merry Christmas."

Happy to see Brennan. Parker rushed to meet her and hugged her. "Merry Christmas Bones. I'm glad you came back. Dad was sad that you were gone, but he said you had a right to be happy. Now we can all be happy together."

Hugging the child, Brennan kissed his cheek and smiled. "Yes, we can all be happy together." Brennan had changed her mind about leaving Booth during the holidays before she was called to board her flight. She had appreciated that Booth was willing to let her go, but she knew he was unhappy about the situation. Thinking over how much he loved Christmas and how alone he was going to be during his special holiday, Brennan decided that she couldn't go through with the trip. "This holiday is for families and we're a family."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The next day, while Brennan was checking on the roasting vegetables in the oven, Booth and Parker were playing a video game in the living room when a knock on the door sounded. Surprised that they had company on Christmas Day, Booth opened the door and found Sweets in the hall holding a bottle of wine and a wrapped gift. "Is the invitation still good?"

Booth stepped back and called out to Brennan. "Hey Bones, I forgot to mention that I invited Sweets over for diner."

Stepping into the living room, Brennan stared at Sweets with a look of shock on her face. "Really?"

Booth shrugged his shoulders and took the bottle of wine from the younger man. "He's alone and no one should be alone on Christmas Day."

Grateful that Booth had invited him, Sweets smiled. "I see you didn't go on your dig, Dr. Brennan."

Since he was stating the obvious, Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "The dig wasn't that important." Turning she reentered the kitchen to check on the baking ham.

Pointing towards Parker, Booth smiled. "This is my son, Parker. Everyone's plans changed at the last minute, but you're still invited Sweets. The more the merrier."

"Yeah the more the merrier." Parker was curious about the present Sweets was holding, but he knew he'd see what was in the box sooner or later. "Merry Christmas."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	48. Chapter 48

(The Baby in the Bough)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Lou Taylor signed away the rights to his son and gave him to Jimmy and Carol Grant to adopt. The custody handover was complete when Brennan and Booth handed little Andy Taylor over to his new parents. Brennan had been reluctant to hand the child over to the Grants, but in the end she knew it was for the best. The Grants loved Andy and Brennan knew that they would take good care of him.

Booth had tried to support Brennan through the case because he felt that she had taken the case a little more personally than most. Usually she was able to disassociate herself from the victims in their cases, but little Andy had worked his way into her heart and Booth was worried that she would be upset when the child was no longer in their care.

Before they had given the child to the Grants Booth had seriously thought about asking the court for custody of the baby, but he knew he was just being selfish and in the end did what he thought was the right thing by giving the boy to the Grants.

They had talked about having children once, but Brennan had made it clear she had no intention of ever becoming a mother. The more he thought about it, the more Booth was starting to think it would be nice to have a little Bones in their lives. As they drove back home, Booth broached the subject trying to be careful not to appear to be too vested in the idea. "So Bones, did you change your mind about having kids? You seemed to like being with Little Andy."

Her thoughts on the child she had left behind in West Virginia, Brennan realized the Booth was asking her a question that she probably needed to answer carefully. "No, not really. I don't think I would be a very good mother. I'm not empathic enough."

"Bull, you are too." Booth hated it when she talked about herself like that. "You do have empathy, I see it all the time."

Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "Still, I don't wish to have a baby, Booth . . . Do you?" She was starting to worry that this was Booth's way of saying he wanted a child with her.

"No, not if you don't want one." He glanced at Brennan and saw the look of her worry on her face and he knew it was time to wrap up the conversation. "I was just curious that's all. I'm not asking you to have a baby if you don't want one. Don't worry about it."

Relieved, Brennan smiled at her boyfriend. "It was nice taking care of Andy, but our lives are too busy and very dangerous. It would be best if we didn't have children together."

A little sad about her answer, Booth nodded his head. "Andy was a little fighter that's for sure. He'll be fine with the Grants. They already love him and he won't have to go into Foster Care. He's a very lucky little boy."

"Yes, he is."

Ooooooooooooooooo

The trial was getting closer and Brennan was starting to act a little distant with Booth. It wasn't anything he could put his finger on at the moment, but it seemed like Brennan was building a wall between them and it was starting to worry him. "Bones, do we need to talk?"

Not sure what he was talking about, Brennan stared at Booth with a puzzled look on her face. "About what?"

"Your Dad's trial is coming up soon. Caroline is trying to get a trial date set up and it won't be long before Max has to appear in court." Booth sat on the couch and stared at Brennan who was sitting at the dining room table tapping away on her laptop. "I have to testify during the trial. I can't get out of it. I was the arresting officer and I was involved in that mess with Deputy Director Kirby. We aren't married, so they won't excuse me from the trial."

Feeling tense about the situation, Brennan didn't want to talk about the trial or her father with Booth or anyone else. "You aren't telling me anything I don't already know Booth."

"Alright, Bones." Booth heard the snappishness in her answer and chose to ignore it. "Just remember I'm here for you."

"Yes, I know." Brennan closed her laptop, stood up and turned to face her boyfriend. "I have some work I need to do at the Lab. I'll be back late."

Booth watched her go and he let her. He knew that Brennan was unhappy and he hoped that doing her job might help her find some peace. She loved working at the Lab and Booth wanted her to have at least a little peace. Once the trial started, there would be no peace for either of them, he was certain of that.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Sweets was reading over some notes he had jotted down during the last session with Agent Bernard and since his next session was scheduled in forty minutes he wanted to be sure he remembered what was said. The door opening and closing was a surprise since he wasn't expecting anyone, so he turned to see who had entered his office. The sight of Booth standing in front of the closed door was a minor shock, but Sweets could see the man was worried. "I have about thirty minutes, Agent Booth. Would you like to talk to me?"

Certain he was making a mistake, Booth moved over to the couch and sat down. "You've read my personnel file." It was a statement not a question.

"Yes." Sweets noticed the nervousness in the agent and knew he'd have to be very careful how he handled the Agent. This was the first time the Agent had chosen to talk to him willingly and Sweets didn't want to make a mistake.

He hated that he felt so nervous, but Booth needed to talk to someone and he knew whatever he said to the kid would be confidential. "My old man . . . he uh . . . he was mean to his family."

As far as Sweets was concerned 'mean' was a terrible understatement, but he allowed the word to stand. "Yes, he was. It wasn't your fault though."

"Yeah, I know that." Booth leaned over and picked up the slinky sitting on the coffee table. Running the slinky from one hand to the other, he let the familiar sound soothe him for a few seconds. "My father was terrible and I hate his guts, but Bones loves her father even though he abandoned her when she was fifteen and that's fine. Max is alright. He . . . uh, he's done some really bad things, but he's not a bad man, if you understand what I'm trying to say. He . . . He loves his kids. He loves Bones and he wants to be her father again and now . . . now he's going on trial for murder. It's happening soon." Booth stopped talking and placed the slinky back down on the coffee table. He didn't know what he really wanted to say to the boy sitting on the chair across from him and he was starting to regret coming to see him.

He thought he'd known before he'd stepped into the room what he wanted to say, but now he was just a little lost. "I have to testify and if he's found guilty . . ." He knew he could lose his Bones and he didn't know how to prevent it. "If he's found guilty, maybe she'll blame me because she loves her father and . . . "

"Have you talked to Dr. Brennan about this?" This was exactly why he was Booth and Brennan's therapist and Sweets wished she was in the room at that moment. "She's told me numerous times that she doesn't blame you for arresting Max Keenan."

"I know, she's told me that too, but she loves her father." Booth stood up. "I guess we'll see if she really means it."

Worried for Booth, Sweets stood up. "Agent Booth, she loves you and you love her. Be patient with her. As the trial approaches she may push you away, but don't let her. Talk to her. Let her know you're standing beside her no matter what happens. Don't take it personally if she grows angry and try to get her to see me. I'd like to help if I can."

He heard the younger man out and nodded his head. "She's already pushed me aside. I haven't really seen her for the last three days. She works late and when she comes home she sleeps in the guest bedroom. I don't know when she goes to work because she's gone before I wake up . . . I've talked to her a few times on the phone, but they've been short conversations. I've brought her lunch every day, but she locks herself up in one of the examination rooms with a bunch of old bones and won't come out even for lunch. I'm worried that she isn't eating."

Sweets didn't like the sound of what was going on and thought he might go over to the Lab to talk to Brennan or least try to. "I'll see if she'll talk to me. Maybe I can help."

"Don't do that." Booth knew that would be a mistake. "She hates psychology she really does and she's not going to listen to you . . . Hey never mind. Just forget about it. I'll find a way to talk to her." Booth moved over to the door and paused facing the door. "You're a good kid. Thanks for talking to me. I just needed to talk to someone. It's fine."

After he left the room, Sweets exhaled deeply. He wanted to help Booth and Brennan, but her hatred of psychology guaranteed that she wouldn't listen to him. He was grateful that Booth had felt comfortable enough to talk to him and he hoped that he would come back when he needed help and Sweets was certain he would need it.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was late and Brennan was tired. She had solved the identity of two of the lost ones in Bones Storage and she was proud of that, but she was exhausted and craved sleep. As quietly as possible, Brennan entered the apartment, took off her shoes and made her way to the guest bedroom. Once she was in the room, she closed the door and turned on the overhead light.

Suddenly awake, Booth rolled over and sat up. "Bones we need to talk."

Not really surprised to see her boyfriend in the guest bedroom, Brennan sighed. "I don't really have anything to say, Booth. I'm tired and I'd like to go to bed."

Moving so that his back was against the headboard, Booth clasped his hands on his lap and spoke calmly. "Would you like me to move out?" He dreaded to think what her answer would be, but Booth was tired of being treated like the enemy by someone he loved. "Not permanently, but while this is going on. I don't like you working so late just to avoid seeing me. I'm worried about you."

Tears sprang to her eyes and Brennan knew she had pushed things too far. "No of course not." Wiping the tears away, Brennan moved over to the bed and sat down on the end of the mattress, near Booth's blanket covered feet. "I talked to Max a few days ago with his lawyer and they didn't sound positive about the trial . . . I've tried to prepare myself, but I think I've failed because that meeting drove home the fact that Max may really die for what he did. I hate him and I love him and I don't want him to die, Booth. I don't want him to die."

Unable to stay where he was, Booth extracted his legs from the blanket and scooted down the bed until he could pull Brennan into his embrace. "Bones, I'm so sorry that this is happening. I really am. If I could stop it I would."

His arms around her made her feel safe and she realized that she had made a mistake by distancing herself from her lover for the last few days. He loved her and he wanted to help her even though there was nothing he could do. "I'm sorry I've been working so late . . . working with the lost ones, helping to discover who they were helped me to feel in control of what was going on, but I know I was just kidding myself. I'm not in control and neither are you. I shouldn't have pushed you away."

Lowering his head, Booth rested his chin on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Whatever happens you will still have me in your life and you always will. You're not alone and well, if Max is convicted it will be a while before the state does anything. I just want you to know that I'll be by your side if you'll let me. Don't push me away Bones. I love you."

"I love you too, Booth." Brennan hugged her boyfriend and her tears stopped. "Would you like to make love? I'm not tired if you aren't."

Her voice was weak and she looked so exhausted that Booth didn't think that sex was something she really wanted or needed. "I am kind of tired, but if you want to make love we can."

"Would you hold me?" She was so tired, but she needed to be connected to her lover. "At least for a while?"

Letting her go, Booth moved back up the bed, lay down and held his arms open. "Come here Bones."

Grateful for the kindnesses he was showing her, Brennan stood up and then lay down next to Booth, holding him closely. "I'm so tired."

"Sh." Booth ran his hand through her hair and hoped that he was doing the right thing. "Go to sleep. You need the rest and so do I. We'll talk in the morning."

Her quiet breathing told him she was asleep and he knew that he had guessed right. She had thought he wanted sex even though she was exhausted. It made him feel sad that she was willing to push herself when she was so tired, but he vowed to make sure she got more rest as the trial approached. At the moment he really hated Max for what he was doing to Brennan, but he prayed that the old man was found innocent. If he wasn't then Booth was going to have to work extra hard to take care of Brennan whether she thought she needed it or not.

Ooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

Guest: In response to your complaint that Brennan gives in too much about celebrating Christmas, successful relationships are about compromise. In the previous chapter, Booth compromised and decided not to push Brennan to stay with him during Christmas. He wanted her to be happy and if she wanted to go on a dig during the holiday then he wouldn't push her to stay. In the end she chose to stay because she didn't want Booth to be alone. They both did what they did because of love.


	49. Chapter 49

(The Verdict in the Story)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

He was so angry, Booth was beside himself. Brennan had used herself to sow doubt with the jury about her father's guilt. Her lawyer had woven a tale that made Brennan appear to be the one who had killed Deputy Director Kirby and Booth was terrified what the outcome of that might mean. He had tried to stop it when it came time for him to testify, but the lawyer had forced him to admit that he had been away from Brennan long enough to pick up Parker from school that day. He had tried to explain that he had been on the phone with her and that she had never left the apartment the evening that Kirby had died, but he had slept and the lawyer had painted him as an exhausted agent who had slept hard that night. Barron had led the jury to believe that Booth had slept so hard that there was no way he would have known if his girlfriend had left the apartment or not, so she could have easily taken Kirby's body to the hotel, gutted him and burned his body. Booth had found the whole thing ludicrous and had tried to bring up the weight difference between Kirby and Brennan, but was stopped before he could get too far.

Once the trial was ended and the jury was handed the case, Booth had tracked down Caroline Julian as fast as he could. "Caroline, you know that Bones didn't kill anyone."

"Her lawyer has intimated that she has." Caroline was upset with her ex-husband and her adversary in court. "Someone murdered Kirby and if it wasn't Max then who else is there?" Caroline knew that Brennan hadn't murdered the Deputy Director, but at the moment she wasn't in a forgiving mood. "Listen Cher', let's see what the jury has to say about all of this. Hopefully they can see that the slight of hand show presented by David Barron is just that and that Max is guilty of murder."

Booth was afraid and he wanted assurance from Caroline that she wasn't going to try Brennan for Kirby's murder. "Caroline, Bones values life. She'd never take a life like that. She just wouldn't."

"She's killed a man in the past." Caroline was sitting in the Royal Diner trying to drink a cup of coffee, but her heart burn was acting up and the coffee made her feel sick. "She killed Gil Lapin and you can't deny that."

"To save my life, you know that." Booth was sitting at the table across from Caroline and was trying to keep his voice down, but he knew it wasn't as quiet as it should be. "The man was trying to kill me. What was she supposed to do, let him? Please Caroline . . ."

Caroline reached across the table and placed her hand over Booth's fist. "Listen Cher', I know she isn't a murderer alright?" Her chest and throat hurt from the heat of the acid reflux, which made her realize that the coffee wasn't helping. Disgusted, Caroline pushed her coffee cup aside, grabbed her purse and looked for some antacid she usually kept inside. "Merde, I must be out of Tums." Closing her purse, she waved at the waitress and placed an order for a glass of Sprite. "Your girlfriend and that bibitte of an ex-husband of mine had to find some way to make the jury ignore all of the evidence against Max Keenan and they found a way."

Still not sure what Caroline was going to do if she lost the case, Booth licked his lips and lowered his voice even further. "If Max is freed, what are you going to do?"

She didn't want to be cruel to someone that she liked, so Caroline sighed and placed her purse on the floor next to her feet. "I won't do anything. The case will be closed."

Relieved, Booth reached across the table, took her hand in his hand, pulled it up, leaned over and kissed the back of her hand. "Thank you."

Embarrassed over Booth's open display of gratitude, Caroline pulled her hand away. "I'm not doing it for you. If I were to convict Dr. Brennan of murder it might open a flood gate of litigation by people that have been convicted using her as an expert witness. Since I know she didn't kill the Deputy Director I am not going to go down that road. I'm not Couillon."

Booth could tell how upset Caroline was by her extensive use of Cajun words and he knew that he wasn't helping ease her mind about the trial. "I didn't know Bones was going to do what she did. If I had I'd have tried to stop her . . . Of course we both know she wouldn't have listened to me. When she wants to do something she just does it."

"Yeah, I know." Caroline was thankful when the waitress handed her the glass of Sprite and drank some of it. She hoped it might help her reflux until she could find some Tums or other antacid. "Just so you know, if Max walks Dr. Brennan will be on my shit list for a long time. Just so you know that."

Not sure what that meant, Booth just wisely nodded his head. "Okay."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The trial was over and Max had indeed got away with murder. Booth had followed Brennan outside of the courthouse when she left the courtroom. He knew she was too nervous to stay and hear the verdict and he couldn't let her be alone. Not saying anything, he placed his arms around her and they waited on the steps until they noticed Max come down the stairs a happy and free man.

Booth knew that now wasn't time to raise hell with Brennan, so he stepped aside and let her hug and kiss her father. Max was pleased that his lawyer's tactic had worked and was unaware at the anger that Booth was feeling towards him at the moment and toward Brennan. Turning towards his daughter's boyfriend the con man held out his hand towards Booth and grinned. "Thanks, Booth."

Coldly, the FBI Agent turned on his heels and marched down the steps to the sidewalk below. After glancing back at his girlfriend for a brief moment, Booth hurried down the sidewalk, his aim to go back to work as soon as possible.

Worried about Booth's reaction to Max's overture, Brennan watched her boyfriend's receding figure until she could no longer see him. Once he was out of sight, Brennan sighed and shook her head. "He's angry with me."

"He'll get over it." Max was confident that Booth loved his daughter too much to stay angry too long.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

After working late that evening, Booth stopped by the gym at the Hoover and took his anger out on a punching bag. His fists pounded the bag until his knuckles were raw. His body glistening, sweat pouring down from his forehead into his eyes, Booth swiped the back of his hand across his forehead and stood in front of the punching bag staring at the dirty sweat stained bag.

"Are you alright?" Lance Sweets had come into the gym with the intention of using the treadmill, but had been concerned when he'd seen Booth beating a bag with quiet ferocity. Once the agent had stopped the man had simply stood there breathing hard and not moving. The therapist was afraid that Booth was having a crisis and he might need help.

Slowly, Booth unwound the tape he had used around his hands and wadded up the tape to be disposed of. "Yeah, I'm fine." His response was wooden and filled with little emotion.

His concern rising for the agent, Sweets followed Booth to the locker room. "The trial went well. Dr. Brennan's father was exonerated."

His emotions once again boiling over, Booth turned and snarled at the younger man. "It didn't go alright. Bones used herself to get Max off. If Caroline wants to she could try Bones for murder."

"But Caroline won't do that. I asked her." Sweets spoke softly trying to cool down the temperature in the room. "Caroline knows that was just a defense tactic and that Dr. Brennan didn't kill anyone."

"That's beside the point." Booth wasn't ready to let his anger go. "She set herself up to take the fall for her father. A father that abandoned her when she was fifteen years old. A man who she hasn't heard from for fifteen years until he showed up and killed the Deputy Director. She didn't owe Max a damn thing and certainly not her reputation and her freedom."

Sweets wasn't sure what he could say to calm down the older man. "Love makes us do strange inexplicable things. Dr. Brennan loves her father and probably hates him at the same time. She has mixed feelings about her father, but Max is her father and she has maintained a small amount of loyalty to him. She didn't want to see the state kill Max, so she did what she could to save his life. It was a crazy thing to do, but it's who she is isn't it? Loyal?"

Booth slumped down on one of the benches, placed his elbows on his knees and rested his face in his hands. "I don't know what I would do if Bones was arrested and tried for murder. How could I save her? I don't know if I could and then what? Would I have to see the woman I love die at the hands of the state for something she didn't do?"

"But that's not going to happen." Sweets sat down next to Booth and was careful not to touch the man. "Caroline says she's not going to go any further."

"I know that." Booth swallowed and sat up straight. "Bones makes me so damn mad. She risked her freedom for her father's life and his life isn't worth Bones' life. Not by a long shot."

Sweets was certain that he would need to see the couple in the near future. He had known that Max's trial was going to cause the couple trouble, but not this kind of trouble. "She loves her father, Agent Booth."

"Yeah, I know." Booth turned to face his locker, opened it and removed a towel, a bar of soap and some shampoo. "Go away, I'm going to go take a shower."

He was dismissed and Sweets knew it. "My office is open anytime you want to talk."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth arrived home late. Careful not to make any noise, he poured himself a glass of Scotch and sat down on the couch. After drinking half the liquid in the glass he held it and stared at the closed bedroom door. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say to Brennan, but right now he was still angry and he knew that wasn't a good thing for either of them. She had given him a fright and he wasn't easily frightened.

He just couldn't understand why she would risk her life for her father. Booth hated his father and he knew he would shed no tears for the man when he died. He just didn't understand how Brennan could do what she had done for Max. The man had abandoned her and she had almost died because of his neglect in Foster Care.

Brennan had heard her lover come home and had waited for him to come into the bedroom, but when the door remained closed she felt she should find out why. Slipping a robe on over her pajamas, Brennan opened the door and stood in the doorway. "Are you coming to bed?"

Finishing his drink, Booth placed the glass on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch. "I'm mad, so I'd like to sit out here for a while if you don't mind."

"You're angry because of the alternate story the jury was given?" Brennan had known that Booth was upset when he had been forced to testify against her, but she had thought he would understand. "Max is my father, Booth. I needed to try to save him if I could."

So tired of being upset and angry, Booth felt drained as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. His hands were throbbing from his workout at the gym and he knew that his anger wasn't going to solve anything. If anything he was risking losing the woman he loved and it wasn't worth it. Still he needed her to understand the reality of the situation. "I know you wanted to save him, but you placed your own freedom in jeopardy to do it . . . Bones, I love you and I back you up no matter what you do, I try to anyway, but this thing that you did today, it could have gone wrong. If Caroline hadn't been the one prosecuting Max, if it had been that vindictive bastard Bud Gilbert, it wouldn't have turned out so good. He would have had you arrested for the murder of Kirby and then what? How would you have got out of that? What if you had gone to trial and you'd been found guilty. You took a big risk, Bones and yeah I'm angry that you did it, but I guess it's who you are."

Booth stood up and moved over to where Brennan was standing. "I have your back, I do, but I could have lost you doing what you did today. You could be sitting in jail right now."

"But I'm not." Brennan was trying to understand why Booth was still upset and it confused her more than anything. "It was a successful ploy."

Booth pulled her into his arms and held her tightly in his embrace. "I love you Bones. Don't ever do this shit again. Your father is a murderer and if he ever kills someone again, I'm not going to stand by and let you risk your life and freedom for his. This stunt you pulled worked this time, but I can assure you it won't work a second time."

"Yes, I know that." Brennan held her arms around her lover and rested her head on his shoulder. "I warned Max that he must follow the law from now on if he wants to earn our trust. He says that he is retired and he's moving to the District to be near me. I think he knows that if he breaks the law once more, his trial might not end up like he wants it to and I promised him that I would not involve myself in any future trials. He is on his own."

Relieved to hear her words, Booth pulled a little away from her to look into her eyes. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Brennan meant what she had told her father. She would not help him if he broke the law again. He had to walk on the right side of the law and if he couldn't do that then he couldn't have a relationship with her. "I'm sorry that I upset you, it wasn't my intention to do that."

She looked so sad and Booth's last bit of anger melted away. "You had to be you, Bones. I get it." Booth leaned down and kissed her. "I guess that's why I love you so much. You're definitely not someone that I understand very easily, but I love a mystery and I love you."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

A/N: Merde is Cajun French for shit, Bibitte is Cajun for male genitalia (a dick). Couillon is Cajun for stupid.


	50. Chapter 50

(The Wanna Be in the Weeds)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I really don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The picture of Brennan and Parker sitting on the credenza behind his desk seemed to attract Pam's attention and Booth stepped in between the picture and Pam to prevent her from getting a good look at his son. He didn't know why he'd felt compelled to do that, but Pam was putting off an odd vibe that made Booth's little alarm bells in his head go off. "Look Ms. Nunan, I'm not married and my relation with my partner is none of your business."

"I understand." Pam assumed that Booth wasn't attached to his partner like she had first thought. Whoever the boy was in the picture with Dr. Brennan she guessed it didn't really matter since the agent wasn't married. That had been the information she had been looking for. "I brought you something." She handed the bag containing socks to the agent and was pleased at his surprised expression. She planned to surprise him many times in the future.

Booth was trying to get Pam to tell him why she had asked to meet with him, but so far she was evading his questions and it was starting to annoy him. "You said you had information about Tommy Sour's murder."

Studying the commendations and awards on the walls, Pam was impressed. "I have faith that you'll find out who killed him and Tommy wouldn't want me to grieve forever."

His frustration growing, Booth tried to hand the socks back to Pam. "This is inappropriate, Ma'am."

Her giggle was loud and Booth could see she was amused. "Ma'am that is so cute . . . Well bye for now." On the way out of the door, Pam turned once more to get a look at Booth and beamed at him. Yes, Booth would make a great boyfriend and she planned to give him better presents than the socks in the future.

His gut told him that he should be wary of Pam Nunan, but he felt sorry for her more than anything. She was clearly an odd person and she probably didn't have a lot of friends. Still her present made him a little leery and she had wasted his time when he could have been at home with his girlfriend.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Sweets had been pleased to see the partners working together so well after Max's trial. The therapist had been afraid that the couple was going to fall apart because of Brennan's stunt to get her father freed, but in the end it appeared that the partners had found a way to get past that and from what he could observe they seemed to be interacting like they should.

After meeting with Deputy Director Bishop, Sweets had been told to end the therapy sessions with the partners. Their time was too valuable to be wasted in therapy when they were clearly getting along and doing their jobs. Their solve rate had started to soar again and the Deputy Director and the Director were pleased.

Meeting with the partners at the Royal Diner, Sweets waited until their orders had been placed and with a cheerful smile on his face, broke the news. "You won't have to see me anymore . . . at least for therapy. The trial is over and you two have seemed to have settled down. Your solve rate is up again and the Deputy Director is pleased with both of you."

Glad that their time wouldn't be wasted anymore, Brennan placed her hand on Booth's arm and smiled. "That is excellent news. I'm glad to see that the Deputy Director finally came to his senses. We were fine before the trial and nothing has changed since thing. Booth and I didn't need your services in the first place."

Booth had resented the therapy at first, but he had used Sweets as a sounding board a few times before the trial and he had found the younger man to be a good listener. Not so good with advice, but a good listener. "That's great." Booth patted Brennan's hand and then sat back as their waitress delivered their drinks.

A little annoyed at Brennan's reaction, Sweets decided that to remark on it would be useless. Instead he turned his attention towards Booth. "Anytime you'd like to talk to me, just let me know. It can be about anything. Just because I'm not your therapist anymore doesn't mean you can't see me when you need to."

After he sipped some of his coffee, Booth nodded his head. "Thanks." The coffee not sweet enough, he added another packet of sugar. "Bones and I are waiting for Hodgins to check into something for us, it's possible we might wrap up our case this afternoon."

Sweets sipped his Coke and glanced at Brennan who was squeezing a slice of lemon in her iced tea. "That's good. Has Pam Nunan given you anymore gifts?"

"Nah." Booth didn't want to talk about Pam. "Once this case is done and we can tell her who killed Tommy she can move on."

"I think she wants to move on with you." Sweets had tried to warn Booth twice that Pam was transferring her interest from Tommy to him, but so far the Agent had ignored him. The psychologist was worried that Pam might not react well once she realized that Booth wasn't interested in her.

"What?" Booth glared at the younger man while Brennan tried to figure out why Sweets had made a comment like that.

"Why would you say that?" Brennan was truly puzzled and wanted an answer.

He knew that he finally had their attention and it was about time. "Pam Nunan gave Tommy gifts as a way to force a response from him. She knew that he would feel obligated to have some kind of relationship with her if she continued to shower him with gifts . . . very expensive gifts. Now that Tommy is dead she had transferred her affections towards you, Agent Booth and she has started by giving you gifts . . . socks. I would take this seriously if I were you."

Booth's gut told him that Sweets might be right, but he felt he could handle the situation. "Look, I get it. The next time I see her, I'll make it clear that I'm seeing someone else and I'm not interested. She'll move on and find someone else."

"I hope it's that easy." Sweets didn't think it would be.

Brennan shook her head. "Pam Nunan will have to accept the situation when she realizes that Booth is seeing me. I think you are worrying about nothing."

"I hope so." The therapist prayed Brennan was right, but he was afraid that she wasn't. Only time would prove who was right.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Pam was dead and Booth was lying on the floor of the club bleeding from the bullet that had been meant for Brennan. Her hand pressed against his chest, Brennan tried to slow the bleeding waiting for the ambulance to arrive. "Come on Booth . . . Come on . . . Stay with me Booth you can't leave me . . . Stay Booth, I mean it you have to stay."

It seemed to take ages before help arrived and once it did it seemed that everything happened at once. Brennan had wanted to go with Booth to the hospital, but the policemen who had responded to the officer down call had forced her to stay and give her statement along with Hodgins, Angela, Cam and Sweets. Filled with anxiety, Brennan had tried to calmly tell the police officers what had happened, but she was sure she had betrayed her nervousness. After repeatedly telling her story to them and then an arriving homicide detective she was finally allowed to leave when Deputy Director Bishop arrived at the club and insisted that Brennan be allowed to go to the hospital. Everyone grateful for his assistance, Hodgins had volunteered to drive her to the hospital and after they gave their statements, Cam, Angela and Sweets planned to follow.

Once they were at the hospital, Brennan was informed that Booth had been rushed into surgery and she would have to wait in the waiting room for news. She had wanted to speak to someone about his condition, but no one was available. As the minutes passed and turned into an hour, Cam, Angela and Sweets arrived along with Deputy Director Bishop and Assistant Deputy Director Calvin Triche. One hour into the surgery, a nurse had come in to the waiting room and told Brennan and the Deputy Director that the surgery was going well. Two hours later, the Deputy Director left the room and no one paid attention to that fact. Brennan sat next to Angela and held her friend's hand while she waited to find out if her lover was going to survive the surgery or not.

The operation seemed to be taking too long and after a while Brennan left the room and demanded that a passing nurse find out what was going on. A few minutes later, a door opened across the hallway and Bishop beckoned for her to join him. "I need you to come with me."

Terrified that something had gone wrong, Brennan trembled as she followed Bishop down the long hallway. Once they were standing outside a room being guarded by an FBI agent whom Brennan recognized, the Deputy Director lowered his voice and tried to explain what was going on. "Booth is in recovery, he did well. He's unconscious right now, but his vitals are good . . . Dr. Brennan I would like to use this opportunity to try to lure out a terrorist we've been after for a long time. Booth worked his case off and on for a few years before he moved into Major Crimes, but the man fled the country and he vowed that he wouldn't be back unless it was to attend Booth's funeral. We would like to pretend that Booth is dead and hold a funeral for him. We're going to publicize his death and see if the terrorist will come back for the funeral."

Her trembling stopped now that she knew that Booth was safe and Brennan thought about the plan for a few seconds. It seemed to her that the plan wasn't a good one. "If Booth is unconscious then he couldn't have agreed to this plan. What about his grandfather and his son? It would be cruel to make them think that Booth is dead. He'd never agree to that and I can't agree to it either."

"You need not worry about the Booth's relatives." Bishop leaned against the wall, his voice still low. "We will inform them that Booth is still alive as soon as possible. I am letting you know because you have his medical power of attorney. If you agree to this you will need to play the part of the grieving girlfriend. Can you do that?"

Confident that she could, Brennan nodded her head. "Of course. I am an excellent actress."

Bishop studied Brennan for a few seconds and then finally made the decision. "Would you like to see Booth? As soon as you go and tell your friends about his death, he's going to be moved out of the hospital to a clinic in Maryland to recover there. You won't get to see him until this operation is over. He won't be allowed to call you either. You must play the part well and everyone must believe that Booth is dead."

"I understand." Brennan hated to think she wouldn't get to check on Booth as he recovered, but she knew it would just be for a short period of time. "Let me see him now."

Once in the room, the sight of her lover lying on the bed, tubes running to his arms, his left wrist ensnared by a pressure cuff, the heart monitor solemnly echoing the sound of his heart beat made Brennan feel sad, but grateful that he had come through the surgery. She had been afraid that she would lose him and that wasn't something she cared to think about. After she kissed his cheek, Brennan smiled at her sleeping boyfriend. "We're going undercover Booth. I'll see you in two weeks. I love you." One more kiss and she left the room and stood outside composing herself. She knew that she would have to pretend that she was upset and grieving, but she was afraid she might over react. Thinking it over carefully, Brennan decided that she would play the role in a subdued manner. It would be too embarrassing to overdo the grieving widow part. She had seen that done in the movies and found it to be very annoying and unbelievable.

Oooooooooooooooooo

At first Booth couldn't understand why he was alone in the hospital room with Charlie Burns. His voice hoarse, Booth swallowed a sip of water that Charlie had given him and then looked around the room. "Where's Bones?"

Charlie patted Booth's knee and gave the man a weak smile. "Let me call the Deputy Director and let him talk to you. He can explain what is going on better than I can."

Fear shot through him and Booth thought the worse. "Is Bones . . . was Bones hurt when . . . did Pam shoot Bones . . . I . . ."

Charlie hadn't counted on Booth suspecting the worst and tried to calm the man down. "No Booth, no. Dr. Brennan is fine, really I swear it." Booth seemed to calm down immediately and for that Charlie was grateful. "Look, remember Michael Hexum?"

"No, who . . ." Booth was feeling muzzy headed and couldn't figure out who Charlie was talking about. "Where's Bones? Is she at work or something?"

"I'm trying to explain." Charlie gave Booth some ice chips since the man kept licking his lips. "Hexum was a terrorist who blew up three recruiting stations in New Jersey. That was your case for a while. He killed two marines and seriously hurt thee soldiers . . . do you remember now?"

Forcing himself to concentrate, Booth sighed. "Yeah, he left the country. I never could find that guy."

He had been worried that there was something wrong with Booth's memory, but Charlie realized that the agent was just confused from the anesthesia. "Yes, that's right. Remember he said that he wouldn't come back unless it was to your funeral? Well, that's why Dr. Brennan isn't here. You're dead right now, or at least as far as the world is concerned and because you're not alive right now, Dr. Brennan has to play her part and pretend that you're dead so that this will look real."

"Pops, my son Parker." Booth wanted to make sure that they knew he was okay. "They were told weren't they?"

"Yeah, of course." Charlie patted Booth's knee. "See you should have let Bishop explain it to you. Now your job is to get better and in two weeks I think we're going to have a funeral for you to see if Hexum shows up."

Not happy about being used as a pawn, Booth closed his eyes. "This is a stupid plan. The guy might not show up and then what?"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	51. Chapter 51

(The Pain in the Heart)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan did the best she could pretending to be in mourning for Booth and she thought she was doing a good job, but her friends were growing concerned about her. Most of the time, Brennan seemed to be her normal everyday self unless someone mentioned Booth, then she grew sad and left the room not speaking to anyone. Brennan had thought she was playing the part of a grieving relative mourning but in control, but she was giving off confusing signals to her friends and they were growing upset with her as Booth's funeral approached.

Working in Bones Storage, Brennan was working on the identification of a young victim found inside the Florida Everglades four years prior to Brennan coming to work at the Jeffersonian. As she examined the bones of the male child Angela slipped into the room and stood staring at her friend for a few seconds. "Brennan I think we need to talk."

Surprised to find her friend in the room with her, Brennan realized that she had been concentrating harder than she had thought. "Yes, go ahead." Her eyes still on the femur in her hand, Brennan noticed the fracture line and knew that the boy had suffered from a broken leg at the time of his death. It wasn't the cause of death, but it was something that might have meaning later.

"Bren . . . Honey are you all right?" Angela hadn't seen Brennan cry one tear since she had told them in the hospital about Booth's death and Angela was worried that her friend was suppressing her emotions too much, way too much. "You haven't take anytime off since Booth died and . . . well Honey you need to grieve. You've lost someone you loved. You need to give yourself permission to cry."

She knew she was supposed to be playing the part of a grieving girlfriend, but Brennan was tired of all of the unsolicited advice about how she should mourn. It had grown in frequency since Booth had been whisked off to Maryland to hide and she was starting to resent it. "Angela, I'm mourning in my way. I have cried at home in privacy because that is the proper thing to do. Crying at work would be completely unprofessional and I won't do it." Brennan placed the bone down on the table and turned to face her friend. "I know you mean well, you are my friend, but I'm handling Booth's death in the proper manner."

Exasperated, Angela placed her hands on her hips. "What exactly is the proper manner, Bren? When you lose someone you love there is no proper manner. You cry, you rely on your friends to get you through it, to help you move on. There is nothing proper about losing someone you love." Her voice was rising and Angela stopped. "Sorry, I'm not mad . . . I just want to help you."

Concerned that she was going to blow her undercover assignment, Brennan moved over to where Angela was standing and hugged her. "Thank you Angela." She hoped that Angela would accept the hug and drop the subject. She knew that when Booth came back home, she would need to talk to him about her assignment. She was clearly doing something unacceptable and yet she didn't understand what it was. "You say that there is no proper way to grieve. In that case, the way I am grieving must be the correct method for me." She didn't know what else to say.

Her arms around her friend. Angela sighed and closed her eyes. "Booth was a great guy. He loved you so much. It's okay to cry, Brennan. It really is."

A tear escaping down her cheek, Brennan released Angela and fished a tissue from her lab coat pocket. She really did miss Booth and it worried her that she couldn't check on him. She was afraid he wasn't being taken care of properly and that did make her sad. "I do miss him."

"Of course you do." Angela was relieved to see the tear. "You're not alone."

"Booth says that to me whenever I'm sad." Brennan smiled. "Thank you."

Relived that Brennan was at least talking about Booth, Angela returned a sad smile. "You're welcome. Why don't you go out with me tonight? We could go to that new restaurant that just opened near my apartment."

Brennan shook her head. "No thank you. I promised my father that I would eat with him tonight."

"Well, okay." Angela was glad to hear that Brennan was connecting with her father. "Call me if you need me."

Alone in the room once more, Brennan placed the tissue back into her Lab coat. _I really hate sleeping alone. I will be glad when Booth comes home. I thought being undercover would be interesting, but I really hate it. I don't understand what everyone wants from me._

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The funeral came, the terrorist had been captured with Brennan's help and the partners were now reunited. As soon as the terrorist was taken away, Brennan had moved into Booth's waiting arms and the couple stood in the cemetery holding and kissing each other.

Friends and co-workers who were not in on the ruse, were both upset and fascinated. Caroline had quickly explained to the people who had attended the funeral about what had happened and why and most of them accepted it. Some did not.

Angry that she had been kept in the dark, Angela marched over to where the couple was quietly talking to each other and with arms crossed against her breasts, she tapped her foot on the grass below her feet. "Really? You think it's okay to use your friends like this?"

Booth turned to face Angela and shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't my plan nor my decision. I was shot and when I woke up I was told about it. As for Bones, she did what she had to do. It wasn't her plan either. If you have a problem with what went down, talk to Caroline or my bosses."

Not really mollified, Angela glared at Booth. "Your friends could have been told."

Taking Brennan's hand in his hand, Booth started to walk towards Brennan's car. "It was a matter of national security. Breaking protocol could have got me and Bones into a lot of legal trouble. This wasn't done to piss you off Angela. It was done to catch a murderer and a terrorist."

As she watched the couple walk away, Angela called out. "The next time you die I'm going to demand to see your body. You hear me?"

Booth waved his free hand and squeezed Brennan's hand to assure her that she wasn't responsible for Angela's anger. "This isn't your fault, Bones, but we are in deep shit with our friends. The next time someone tells you that they're going to use me for some undercover thingy tell them no . . . I really missed you." Booth placed his arm around her shoulders as they continued to walk. "I really wanted to talk to you, but no one would let me have a phone."

His arm around her shoulders were a comfort and Brennan was grateful that their undercover mission was done. "I'm going to take you home. I assume if you're well enough to attempt to fight a terrorist then you are well enough for sex."

Arriving at her car, Booth stopped, turned and pulled Brennan into his embrace. "Oh yes. You and I are not going to work until tomorrow. If anyone calls us, too bad. We are not answering the phone and if anyone comes to the door, well tough shit. You and I are going to spend the rest of the day together and everyone can take a flying leap if they don't like it."

His words were mischievous and sincere and Brennan loved them. After she unlocked the car doors, she walked around to the driver's side and opened the door. "I want to examine your wound as soon as we get home." Once she entered the car, she waited for Booth is get in. She was eager to go home.

Booth glanced back at Cam and Caroline who were standing near the empty coffin and talking together. He knew that he was going to get an earful in the next day or two, but for now, he slid into the car and turned to face Brennan. Fishing out a CD from his jacket pocket, Booth handed it to his girlfriend. "Here's a copy of my medical records. I knew you'd want to see them."

Taking it from Booth, she placed it in her purse. "Thank you." Once they were on the road, Brennan quickly left the cemetery and headed towards their apartment. "I missed you too and I'm going to show you just how much when we get home. Also, I agree, from now on we cannot go undercover separately. It's not very satisfying."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan arrived at the Lab and Angela marched in to her office before she could remove her jacket. "Angela I couldn't tell you and that's final."

A little huff escaped her lips, but Angela knew that the past was the past and Brennan wasn't interested in talking about it. "Whatever . . . so did you and Booth have lots of sex?"

A pleased look on her face, Brennan sat down, turned on her PC and finally nodded her head. "Yes we did. He's still recovering from his gunshot wound, but we had a satisfactory reunion."

The package on Brennan's desk was sitting on a small pile of mail and curious, Brennan removed the paper wrapped around the package and opened it. Startled, she stared a human mandible and assumed it had to be a gift from Gormogon. "It would appear that Gormogon is trying to send me a message of some kind." Standing, she picked up the box and left her office, Angela following closely behind her.

After she let Cam know about the mandible, Brennan tracked down Zach and they began to study the jawbone. While Zach ran a few tests, Brennan called Booth. "I received another bone in the mail. This time it's a mandible."

 _Damn it. That piece of shit is psycho._

"I don't know if he is psychologically disturbed or not, but I will assume he is for now." Brennan watched Zach move a magnifier over the mandible. "I'll call you back when we've learned something useful.

 _Be careful_

"Of course." Brennan ended the call and continued to observe Zach while Cam stood nearby hoping for some quick answers.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Answers didn't come quickly, but they came and when they did it sparked a tragedy no one was prepared for. It was discovered that Zach Addy was Gormogon's apprentice and it stunned everyone that knew him.

Brennan sat in the living room, a glass of wine in her hand and stared at the glass daffodil that was sitting on the book case near her bedroom door. She felt numb inside. She had been betrayed by someone that she had always thought she would be able to trust and yet she was having a hard time feeling anything at the moment.

Worried about her mental state, Booth stood in the kitchen doorway and stared at his girlfriend struggling to accept what had happened. Not sure what he could say to make her feel better, Booth finished the beer he'd been drinking and placed the empty bottle down on the counter. Moving over to the couch he sat down and placed his arm around Brennan's shoulders. "Hey . . . are you alright?"

A tear slipped down her cheek and still Brennan felt numb. Why was she crying and yet didn't feel anything? How was that possible?

His worry growing, Booth kept his arm around his partner and struggled to find the right words to ease her pain. "Zach was easily led . . . He isolated himself from everyone except you and Hodgins and Angela. He didn't live in the real world and so Gormogon used him. Zach should have tried harder to make friends, but he didn't want to . . . none of this is your fault. None of it. It's all on Zach."

She heard his words and they made sense, but it still puzzled her how someone so logical could fall for such a fallacious premise. Gormogon's logic had been twisted and self-serving and Zach hadn't really recognized the fallacy at all. "Zach is a genius. He should have seen through the fallacy of the situation. He should have been able to see through Gormogon's twisted logic."

Since Brennan was a genius, Booth realized that perhaps his girlfriend was worried that she might be susceptible to such twisted logic herself. "Bones, you live in the real world. Zach lived in his own little bubble and didn't interact with very many people. It seems to me that he got worse over time. When I first met him at least he dated and he tried to make some friends, but he just stopped doing that and he set himself up to being influenced by a psycho. You're different . . . you have friends, a great boyfriend and a weirdo family to keep things interesting."

A slight smile on her lips, Brennan placed her glass on the coffee table and turned to face Booth. "I do have a great boyfriend. I'm not sure I would classify my family as weirdos, but they are certainly different . . . a murderer . . . a car thief . . . an FBI Agent."

"Hey I was talking about your Dad and Russ not me." Booth knew that Brennan was teasing him and if she was up for that, then she might be coming out of her funk. "Of course my family is no prize either . . . Jared is an asshole and my father is a real bastard. Come to think of it, I'd take your family over mine anytime . . . except Pops and Parker of course."

She listened to him ramble and she loved that Booth was there next to her when she needed him to be. "I'm alright."

"Of course you are." Booth removed his arm from around her shoulders and placed his hand over her hand instead. "Look, Zach is going to be committed to a hospital, so he won't have to go to prison. It was the best thing that could have happened to him. You can go visit him whenever you like . . . you're going to be okay . . . I love you Bones."

Brennan leaned against her boyfriend and moved her gaze towards their clasped hands. "I missed you so much the two weeks you were gone. I'm glad you're home."

"I'm glad to be home." Booth stood up and pulled Brennan up with him. "Let's go to bed. We can start new tomorrow. For tonight, we're not going to think about Zach or Gorgonzola or anyone else but us. It's just you and me tonight. Just you and me."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	52. Chapter 52

(After The Pain in the Heart)

Thank you for your continued interest in my story.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan wasn't without an intern for long. When Zach had come back from Iraq, Clark Edison had been offered a position as Cam's intern at the Lab, but he had declined. He wasn't interested in working with flesh and blood that much. He was a bones man and his first love was forensic anthropology. Uncertain if there would ever be an opening as an intern with Dr. Brennan, Clark decided to accept a job in Chicago and continue his education there.

Working as an intern for a forensic anthropologist that Clark considered second rate, he was more than happy to give notice and transfer back to Washington D.C to work as Brennan's intern when an offer was made. Once he arrived, Clark was informed that he wasn't going to be the only intern working under Dr. Brennan, but Clark didn't really care. He had a doctorate in forensic anthropology and he was merely adding to his field of expertise. Clark was continuing his education by studying for a degree in archeology to give himself a better leg up in the field he loved. He knew that Dr. Brennan had multiple degrees and he hoped to follow in her footsteps, someday taking over the title of best forensic anthropologist in the country.

His first case with Dr. Brennan had been a rather easy one and rather surprising. The case had been that of the murder of a police chief in Roanoke, Virginia and the Lab had been brought in to expedite the investigation. Clark had quickly found cause of death which pleased both Brennan and Booth. After that the case quickly came to a conclusion and the police chief's cousin had been arrested for murder. The Chief had had an affair with his cousin's wife and that had led to his demise. All in all a satisfactory case and Clark thought it was a good portent of things to come.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Sitting in the Founding Fathers, Booth and Brennan were celebrating the successful close of their case. "Cheers Bones, another case closed and in record time."

"This was an easy one." Brennan sipped her beer and placed the bottle down on the table. "It seems like a foolish waste of resources to bring us in for this case. The local coroner could have handled this case very easily."

Booth agreed, but it was another successful case for them, so he wasn't going to complain. "Politics Bones. The coroner was a political enemy of Chief Bennett and that made some people in high places very nervous. It's okay though. We did the job and now we can move on when the next case comes up. It's a check in the win column for us and our team."

It was logical and Brennan appreciated Booth's explanation. "Yes, I see your point . . . Clark did a satisfactory job."

Her voice had dropped in volume and had tightened which Booth couldn't help but notice. "You still miss Zach?"

"Yes." Brennan sighed and picked up her beer bottle. "I visited him this morning before I went to work . . . He seems to be doing fine."

Still angry that Zach had betrayed them, Booth knew that his anger wouldn't impress his girlfriend since she had already forgiven her intern. "He's where he needs to be. He'd never make it in prison. Caroline did him a favor putting him in that place."

"Yes, you're right." After she sipped some of her beer, Brennan placed the bottle back down. "For now, Dr. Edison will be my only intern, but once the fall semester begins, I will add a few interns into a rotation. I don't wish to rely upon one intern anymore. It would be best if I trained several at a time."

Booth knew that Brennan never wanted to become attached to another intern again and he felt sad that she was doing that to protect herself. He knew she felt things deeply even if she couldn't admit that to him or anyone else. She had trouble understanding her feelings sometimes and Zach's betrayal had confused her and hurt more than she wanted to admit. "Sounds good. Hopefully you'll get more solid guys like Clark. He's pretty serious, but he looks like he's going to be a good team player."

"Perhaps." Brennan finished her beer and dipped her fingers in the bowl of peanuts sitting in front of her. "He doesn't like frivolity which Hodgins finds annoying, but perhaps a little more decorum at the Lab is needed."

Since he only cared about results, Booth hoped all the new interns were on their toes and prepared to help him solve crimes. "Hodgins could use some restraint. That last experiment he did ruined my jacket and pants. He should have told me he was going to do it before he did it. He just lets me walk in the room and boom, shit all over my jacket and pants and I smelled like a damn sewer." Booth shuddered at the reminder. "At least he paid me for a new suit, still . . . from now on I'm not going into the experiment room unless he swears it's safe, the idiot."

Amused, Brennan placed her hand over her mouth so her boyfriend couldn't see her smile.

Aware that Brennan had thought the whole thing had been funny and laughed when he'd been covered in human waste, Booth glared at her and shook his head. "It wasn't funny."

Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "It was a little bit funny. You weren't the only one covered in excrement. Hodgins and Cam were also speckled with feces. Cam's new dress had to be replaced too, plus she made Hodgins pay for a day at the spa and a trip to her beautician."

"Speckled?' Booth complained bitterly. "I was doused not speckled. I almost threw up, damn it."

Not really interested in arguing with her boyfriend, Brennan reached across the table and covered his hand with her hand. "I'd like to go home, Booth. As part of our celebration, we need to have a few rounds of intercourse to end our day."

His anger quickly forgotten, Booth stood up, fished some money out of his wallet and threw it on the table. "If that's what you want then I'm more than willing, Bones. Let's go home."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The living room was semi-dark and silent, but that was fine with Booth. Brennan was asleep in the next room and since he couldn't sleep, he had moved into the living room. Sipping from a glass of Scotch, Booth thought about how much he and Brennan had gone through lately and he realized they needed a real vacation. Parker was supposed to be with him for two weeks in July and Booth planned to talk Brennan into going somewhere for vacation. At this point he didn't care where they went as long as it was away from the District.

Brennan was having more nightmares than she normally had and that worried Booth. He wasn't sure if they were about him being shot or them being blown up in the taxi or if it was Zach's betrayal. Hell it could have been about her father being on trial or her time in foster care, but his girlfriend always claimed she didn't remember her dreams and he couldn't very well call her a liar. Booth was afraid she was under too much pressure right now and a vacation would help her relax.

His Scotch finished, Booth carried the empty glass into the kitchen and placed it in the dish washer. When he reentered the living room, he found Brennan standing in the bedroom doorway staring at him.

"You were gone." When she had awoke, Brennan had momentarily panicked when she found herself alone. She had to remind herself that Booth wasn't dead or being kept away from her by the Bureau. He was fine and he was probably getting a snack. Finding her nightgown on the floor, she had slipped it on and soon found her boyfriend. "Can't you sleep?"

"Nah, I don't know why. You'd think I'd be tired, but I'm not." Booth moved over to where Brennan was standing and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Did you have another nightmare?"

Her arms moved around Booth's chest and she leaned her head against him. "No, I just woke up and I realized you weren't in bed with me . . . when you were gone for those two weeks, I discovered that I don't like to sleep alone."

Booth had hated their two weeks separation too. As his arms moved around her shoulders, he stared at the glass daffodil on the book shelf next to him. "I hate it too." They stood quietly and enjoyed the comfort they felt in the arms of their lover. After a while, Booth released Brennan and took her hand in his hand. "Come on, it's late and we have to go to work in the morning."

As she followed him into the bedroom, Brennan realized that her world was better because Booth was in it. When her world was chaotic, he helped her to organize the chaos and understand what was going on. She hated to think how sad her situation would be if she were alone and had to deal with Zach being in a mental hospital for the rest of his life. Zach had been very close to her, closer than her brother and now he was gone. Not permanently of course. She could visit Zach whenever she wanted to, but for all intents and purposes her intern was gone from her life and Booth understood. He understood her sadness and he was a real comfort to her. "I love you Booth."

As he moved onto the bed, Booth turned on his back and opened his arms, inviting her to join him. "I love you too, Bones. Come to bed, we need to get some sleep."

After she was settled in their bed, part of her draped across her lover's body, Brennan closed her eyes and sighed. "I think we need to go on vacation, Booth. We need to get away for a while from the bedlam."

"Like minds thinks alike, Bones." Booth smiled. "I was thinking the same thing a little while ago. We can take Parker with us and have a real family vacation."

"That sounds wonderful." And Brennan meant that. She loved her step-son and she enjoyed the boy's company.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

Note: yes Parker is not really Brennan's step-son since she and Booth aren't married, but for all intents and purposes, she thinks of the boy as her step-son.


	53. Chapter 53

(After the Pain in the Heart)

A/N: I wrote this story arc four weeks before Hurricane Harvey entered Texas and Louisiana.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

They arrived at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas at around two in the afternoon and once they collected their baggage, took a cab to the Omni Houston Hotel. It's west of downtown off of the 610 loop and Parker had been amazed with the roads as the cab took them to their destination. The overpasses were a little intimidating, but since they didn't seem to bother his father and Brennan he decided that he didn't care either.

Once they arrived in their suite, Booth turned on the television to see what the weather was supposed to be like in the area for the rest of the day. A slight chance of rain didn't seem to be too bad and he flipped off the TV. Brennan unpacked her bag and Booth decided to help Parker with his bag before he unpacked his own bag. "Hey sport, need any help?"

Parker had his bag open on the floor near his bed and he had filled the bottom two drawers of his dresser. "No thank you." Closing the now empty bag, he dragged it over to sit next to the dresser. "This room is so cool." He liked the big window in the room and the fact that the room had a television. "Can we go swimming?"

"Not right now." Booth pointed over his shoulder. "I have to unpack and then Bones wants to go to the Galleria Mall. Maybe we can go swimming this evening."

"Cool." Parker loved swimming pools.

Leaving Parker in his room, Booth passed through the small living room and entered the spacious bedroom he was going to share with Brennan. "I hope he's going to be okay. Rebecca usually gets a hotel room suite with two bedrooms when they travel, so he should be okay."

"He should be fine, but we're here if he needs us." Brennan carried her empty luggage over to the closet and placed them inside. "If you don't want to go to the Galleria, we can go somewhere else. I thought Parker might like to go to the Disney Store plus we can go ice skating. I know he loves hockey like you do and he's a fairly good skater."

While Booth unpacked he listened to his girlfriend talk about the mall and the various stores that they might all find interesting. Once he was finished, he placed his empty luggage in the closet next to Brennan's luggage and closed the closet door. "I feel kind of bad that you're paying for this vacation. I want to pay for our meals and maybe next time I'll pay for our vacation."

Brennan knew that Booth felt uncomfortable with the fact that she was rich and he wasn't, but he usually tried not to show it too much. "Well, you did say I could choose where we would vacation this time and since it's my choice then I should pay the expenses. The next vacation, you may choose our destination and you may pay the expenses."

Following her out into the living room, Booth looked around and sighed. "Any place I can afford isn't going to look like this." He wished he could afford to take Brennan on expensive vacations, but he couldn't and that was a fact. "I know a guy that owns a cabin in Pennsylvania. Maybe we can go there this fall for a weekend trip. He says it's on the edge of a state park and it's got some nice hiking trails."

"Oh that sounds very nice." Brennan smiled as she saw Parker enter the living room. "Parker, if you're ready to go, we're going to go to the Galleria Mall. I think you will find it very interesting."

Eager to go ice skating with his father and Brennan, Parker rushed to the door leading out into the hallway and waited. "Is it true they have an ice skating rink at the mall? Mom said they do. Can we really skate?" His mother had told him about the Galleria before he had left for vacation. She had thought he could mention it to his father as someplace to visit during their stay.

"Yes, it's true." Brennan smiled fondly at the boy. He was a delight to be around and she found him to be amusing a lot of the time. "I read about this mall in a travel magazine and it seemed to be an interesting place to visit, at least once while we're here."

Booth made sure the door was closed and locked after they were all in the hallway. "Sounds good to me. If you have other stuff you want to see then just tell us. Parker and I are game for anything." _Please don't pick a lot of museums. "_ Maybe we can rent a car and drive to the Space Center. I've always wanted to see that."

"Me too." Parker loved science fiction movies like his father and he dreamed about being an astronaut.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Brennan had never been to the Space Center and she was looking forward to seeing it with her family.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The mall had been a hit with the entire family. They had window shopped and when they had found the Disney Store, Parker had talked his father into buying him a set of sheets for his room at their apartment. He had spied 'Cars' sheets and comforters as well as toys, but had felt like he could ask for one thing, he knew his father didn't have a lot of money like his mother did. Brennan had liked several of the toy cars being sold from the 'Cars' franchise and decided to buy them for Parker. She thought they might be suitable gifts for his upcoming birthday. She wanted to make sure she bought something he liked and if he wanted sheets from the movie then logically he would appreciate toys based upon the movie too. She was careful not to let him see her make her purchase and when they left the store, Parker and Booth wanted to know what she had bought. Smugly, she declined. "That is for me to know and for you to discover."

Amused, Booth placed his arms around her shoulders. "Oh I'll discover sooner or later . . . you have to sleep sometime."

"Booth, you may not look in this bag." She had also bought Booth two Disney t-shirts and she wanted to give them to him after they returned home as a surprise. "You must promise me you won't look."

After he kissed her on the cheek, Booth veered her towards the ice skating rink. "I promise not to look and so does Parker."

Disappointed that he wouldn't get to see what Brennan had bought, Parker's attention was soon diverted by the rink. "Cool, Dad. This is so cool."

"It's the ice covering the rink floor that makes the temperature much chillier." Brennan failed to notice Booth struggle not to laugh or Parker roll his eyes. "The rink is not very busy at this moment. We have come at an advantageous time."

"Sounds good to me, Bones." Booth led the way to the rental counter. His little family was going to have some fun on the ice and he was looking forward to it. "Okay everyone, lets get some ice skates and hit the ice."

Once they were on the ice, it didn't take very long for Booth to realize that Brennan didn't really know how to skate. Not willing to embarrass her, he made sure he held her hand or arm while they skated. If she was game to try, he was willing to help her. After a few mishaps where she fell, pulling him down with her, Booth laughed and began to give her a few lessons. Brennan listened carefully and after that she didn't fall anymore. She came close a few times, but Booth was there to keep her upright. Parker enjoyed skating, but kept clear of the adults. He knew if they fell on him he'd be squished. All in all, they had a good time.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

For dinner, they stopped by Piatto Ristorante and found the food to be excellent. Brennan chose the penne melanzane which consisted of grilled egglpant tossed in piatto sauce. Booth spied the pollo involtini on the menu and ordered that. After he explained to Parker that it was a chicken breast stuffed with Romano, Ricotta, Fontina and spinach the boy chose Papa Joe's speciali, a pizza making sure there were no olives on it. After they had finshed eating, Brennan looked at the menu once more and although they were full, Brennan ordered a double layer chocolate mousse cake for each of them to go. She thought it might make a great dessert later after they had had a chance to digest their dinner. Booth salivated at the thought and agreed that the dessert would cap off a great day and if Parker couldn't finish his dessert, well what are father's for?

oooooooooooooooooooo

Once they were back at their hotel, Booth flipped through 300 channels on the television until he found something that Parker would like to watch and settled the boy on the couch. Brennan was a little restless and stood by the window in the living room and watched a light rain start to come down, hitting the window and making a pinking sound. Booth knew that Brennan hated inactivity, but he also knew that she needed to rest sometime. He felt the vacation would help her recover from a very bad few months. Her father's trial and his being shot had been very stressful on everyone and he was glad they all had a chance to get away from work for awhile.

His arm around her shoulders, Booth looked out at the view and smiled. "This is very nice, Bones. You picked a great hotel. I know we promised Parker we would go swimming this evening, but I guess the rain is going to stop that. It'll be alright though. We still have time to do that tomorrow . . . We needed this Bones. It's been so crazy lately. We need this quiet time."

"I agree, we do." Brennan sighed and thought about how close she had come to losing Booth and then actually losing Zach. "Hopefully our lives will be calmer from now on."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	54. Chapter 54

(After The Pain in the Heart)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The Space Center was everything they had hoped it would be. There was a tram tour that allowed them to see a Saturn V Rocket and the Historic Mission Control as well as the New Mission Control. There were so many things to see that Parker felt a little overwhelmed and got a little over excited as the morning progressed. Booth knew how the boy felt and decided that a little quiet time would be good for all of them. After talking to Brennan, they decided to eat lunch at the Zero-G Diner and allow Parker a little time to decompress.

Over their meal, Parker talked between bites as he exclaimed over everything they had seen so far until Booth finally asked him not to talk with his mouth full. "Sorry, Dad." Parker had never seen so many exciting things related to the Space program and he was having a hard time remaining calm, but as the meal progressed he finally seemed to find his balance.

Brennan had never seen Parker this excited before and she felt a little closer to the child since it was science that was making the boy so enthusiastic. She knew Parker was too young to be thinking about a future profession, but if he was this excited about science then she would see if it was possible to get him into some of the science programs at the Jeffersonian. She would check with Booth and Rebecca to see if it was okay, but she was certain they would see the benefit of expanding Parker's interests into science.

After lunch, they continued the tour and Booth was shocked to see that the Space Center had the Galileo Shuttlecraft which happened to be the largest prop from the original Star Trek television series. "Oh man, I can't believe that this still exists. I love Star Trek and to get to see the Galileo is just so cool."

Amused, Brennan followed Booth as he studied the prop from the television show. She had never seen the television show Star Trek until she met Booth and she thought it was wonderful that there were some things about science that excited Booth. He was definitely a man of many layers. Sometimes she felt that if he had been raised in a household that loved science then he might have found a profession other than with the army and the FBI. He was definitely smarter than her fellow employees at the Lab realized, but she knew.

As the day progressed, Booth noticed that Parker was starting to tire and both he and Brennan decided that they had seen enough. The boy had finally run out of energy and Booth carried him to the rental car for their trip back to the hotel. While the boy slept peacefully in the passenger seat, Booth and Brennan used the trip back to talk about the rest of their vacation. Brennan wanted to take Parker to the Children's museum and Booth agreed that Parker would like it, but he worried that she was planning things for Parker and nothing for herself. "Bones, you need to pick someplace you want to see. Don't worry about me or Parker. We want you to have fun too, so make sure you pick stuff you want to see or do."

"Well, I did want to see the Space Center, but I do see your point." Brennan thought about it for a minute then smiled. "I would like to go to the Cockrell Butterfly Center at the Houston Museum of Natural Science."

Surprised and yet not, Booth glanced at Brennan and then back at the road. "You want to go to a butterfly museum." It sounded so girly and though Brennan was a beautiful, confident woman, she rarely did girly stuff. "Well, sure it sounds cool."

"Oh it is." Brennan was pleased that Booth wasn't balking since he wasn't that much of a naturalist. "It has paths that you can walk while you see the butterflies in a natural habitat. There is a waterfall which might interest Parker and you, but the main activity of the center is to observe butterflies."

"Well, we gotta go see that." If Brennan wanted to see butterflies then they were going to go see butterflies. "If you want to see something else, just say so. This is your vacation too."

Pleased that Booth was being so considerate, Brennan reached over and placed her hand on his thigh. "I will." Their vacation had proved to be very relaxing and interesting and Brennan was enjoying herself immensely. "Perhaps we can go to a sporting event. From what I understand, Houston has several professional sports teams."

"Well, um . . . yeah, if you want to, but we don't have to, Bones. I know sports isn't your thing." Booth was really surprised that she had mentioned a game, but now he was worried that she was trying to please him and not herself. "Thanks for the offer though, but I don't think you'd really like it. I mean, um, you don't watch games with me when I watch them on television and that's okay. It really is. I mean I'm a jock and we both know that, but I don't want you to think you have to watch games just because of me and you being a couple."

Puzzled, Brennan stared at Booth momentarily and then realization hit her. He was trying to be nice to her and forego a game because he thought she would be bored. "No, Booth, I'd really like to go to a sporting event. We're a couple and I know you like sports and I think I should learn more about them. At this moment I really only know the rudiments of hockey. I am willing to learn more about other sports. It might be interesting, but I won't really know until I go to a game or two."

His heart felt like it would burst and he knew it was because Brennan loved him so much she was willing to do things with him that she might not really care for. If he was a careful teacher, they might find a sport they both found entertaining and could go to games together. He vowed to himself not to push her and just see what happened. "We'll do that Bones. We'll see if the Astros are in town and if they are we'll go to a baseball game. Parker loves baseball. So he'll have fun too . . . Thanks."

Brennan squeezed his thigh and smiled at the joy on his face. She had almost lost him to a deranged stalker not too long ago and she was determined to make sure he was happy and satisfied with their relationship like she was. When he had almost died, for a short while she had faced the possibility that she would have to live her life without him and it had seemed like it would be a very bleak future. She loved her man so much and she wanted what they had to be a true partnership, which meant that they would do things the other loved to do and try to be happy doing it. Booth already attended specials at the museum and benefits for the Jeffersonian with her even though she knew he thought they were boring, so it would only be fair if she tried to find a sport they could attend together. They were a couple and she felt they should do things that couples did, though she wasn't really sure what those were. Since they were both unique individuals, Brennan knew that their outings would not have to necessarily be what other couples did. They could reflect their own personal interests and she knew that would be satisfactory for both of them.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Dinner was eaten in their small living room. Room service was excellent and they were all satisfied after dinner was finished. Since Parker was more alert and didn't seem to be as tired as he had been earlier, Booth suggested they all go swimming which caused Parker to whoop with joy and race into his bedroom to change into his swim trunks.

"Well, I guess that's a yes." Booth and Brennan took turns changing into swimsuits in the bathroom and were ready to go by the time the boy had appeared in trunks, a t-shirt, flip-flops and a towel draped around his neck.

The evening was warm, it was Houston after all, but the water was cool and refreshing. There were a few other hotel patrons swimming, but not too many so they had plenty of room to dive and play with each other. Brennan enjoyed the outing and was pleased that Booth and Parker recognized what a wonderful diver and swimmer she was. She considered herself to have natural talent when it came to water sports.

Parker had found a young friend and was playing with squirt guns with the girl which left Booth and Brennan alone. Ducking under the water, Booth came up behind her and engulfed her in his arms. "Hey there gorgeous."

Turning in his arms, Brennan placed her hands on Booth's shoulders and kissed him. "This is quite exhilarating. I am enjoying myself immensely."

"I'm glad." Booth returned her kiss and when Parker called out to him, Booth released Brennan and smiled tenderly at her. "Maybe we can have our own water sports later tonight. The shower is pretty big."

A grin followed that statement since Brennan knew that Booth was talking about sex. "Yes, that seems like an excellent idea."

"Oh, I'm filled with excellent ideas." Booth swam over to where Parker was, lifted him in the air and threw him a few feet back into the water. The boy squealed with delight and swam back over to where his father was standing so he could do it again. "Do it again Dad."

After a few more tosses, Booth finally swam back over to where Brennan was treading water. "That kid is going to wear me out."

"Well, I hope not too much." Brennan bit her lower lip and hoped Booth was just exaggerating. She was looking forward to Booth's plans for the shower and she didn't want him to be too tired.

"Ha, I'm not that tired." Booth chuckled and shook his head. "Let's go back to our room. By the time Parker gets a shower and into his pjs he'll be too tired to stay up to watch TV."

Waving for Parker to swim over to where they were, Brennan knew that Booth was right. The boy had had a very active day. "We're going to our room Parker."

Once he was closer, Parker grabbed Booth's arm and beamed with happiness. "This was fun, Dad. Can we do it again tomorrow?"

"We'll sure try, Parker." Booth moved over to the steps leading out of the pool, towing Parker behind him. "If it doesn't rain, we'll come back tomorrow night if we can, but it will depend upon what we're going to be doing tomorrow. Bones thinks it would be cool to go to a baseball game."

"Oh boy!" Parker loved baseball and this was the best news yet. "That's better than swimming."

Brennan followed Booth and Parker out of the pool, found her towel and wrapped it around her body. "We're also going to go see butterflies in their natural habitat tomorrow morning after breakfast."

His eyes large, Parker turned to stare at his father who poked him in the ribs. "It'll be fun."

"If you say so Dad."

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I hope you are enjoying my story.


	55. Chapter 55

(After the Pain the Heart)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

They had managed to see the things they wanted to see and everyone had had a good time. The Galleria Mall, The Space Center, The Natural History Museum, an Astros Game and on their last day they had visited the Antique Gallery of Houston located in Spring, Texas just north of Houston. Booth had rented a car and driven them to Spring on I45. It had been a pleasant drive and once they were there, they had taken their time looking through the different stalls, admiring the large variety of antiques.

Unable to contain his excitement, Booth had found an old-fashioned bakelite phone and quickly showed it to Brennan. It was deep black with a silver colored rotary dial. When he picked it up the weight had delighted him. "Now this is what a real phone should feel like. Heavy enough so if you need a weapon you can hit someone on the side of the head with it and you know it'll hurt them for sure. Pops had one of these until a couple of years ago until it fell apart. That phone we have at home is a piece of shit and the guy says this phone really works. It's ninety bucks, but I think it's worth it."

Brennan had found her boyfriend's enthusiasm very amusing and she let him wax nostalgic about how the phone tick tick ticked when you turned the dial and how you didn't have to listen to electronic bleets when you actually dialed a number.

Impressed, Parker had turned the rotary dial and liked the way it turned as he moved his finger to enter a number. "This is cool Dad."

Once that purchase was made, they wandered through the stalls and Brennan was delighted when she came upon a booth that sold bakelite jewelry. The necklaces were pretty and once she spied an Alex Kirk Vintage Bakelite beaded necklace she knew she had to have it. The beads were a mixture of blue and white beads interspersed with gold plated beads and both Brennan and Booth thought it was a lovely piece and would make a great addition to her collection at home. Booth loved the way it emphasized the color of Brennan's eyes and told her so.

Not to leave Parker out of the fun, they soon found a booth that sold old toys. The boy had noticed a Robby the Robot toy and though Booth had blanched at the asking price, he bought it anyway. "Okay, Parker. Just remember this is a collectable so you shouldn't really play with it. This is more for bragging rights do you understand? Like Daddy's collection of wall signs and the old cameras I have in my office. I don't really play with them because I could damage them."

Excited that his father was going to buy the robot, Parker nodded his head vigorously. "I know Dad. Thank you for buying it for me."

"You're welcome." After their purchases were made, the little family left the gallery and stopped at Puffabelly's Old Depot Restaurant for lunch. They mostly stopped at this particular restaurant because of the name, Booth couldn't resist and Brennan didn't care. After a meal of burgers and fries for the boys and a Texas Sampler for Brennan which consisted of a variety of vegetable appetizers they drove back to their hotel room and rested for a few hours after packing their bags to get ready to return home.

After dining at Hugo's for dinner, they returned to their hotel room, changed into swim suits and used the pool until about 7 pm. The pool suddenly became busy with other guests and soon Parker wanted to leave. He had accidently bumped into one of the adults splashing in the deep end of the pool who had taken exception and grabbed the boy's arm. Booth had responded quickly and forcefully removed the man's hand from Parker's arm. "Listen Buddy, my son didn't hit you on purpose. Let him go."

The force Booth had used to make the man release Parker had surprised the stranger and erring on the side of caution, he had moved to the other side of the pool. Parker's fun was spoiled and at that point wanted to leave. Once they were back in their hotel room, everyone took a shower and once that was done, watched a movie until Parker fell asleep. Once Booth had carried the boy into his room and settled him onto his bed, Booth returned to the living room and sat down next to Brennan. Still fuming about the incident at the pool, Booth shook his head. "That guy had no right to touch my boy, none at all. It was an accident and he's lucky I didn't break his damn hand."

Since she would rather have Booth in a good mood, Brennan turned, placed her hands on his shoulders, pushed him back on the couch, straddled him and kissed him. His response was positive and Brennan knew that the incident at the pool might not be forgotten, but it was now not in the forefront of Booth's thoughts. "This has been a great vacation, Booth. I've loved it very much."

His splayed hands on her hips, Booth gave her a deeper kiss and once they separated for a little air, Booth answered her. "It really has been. I've never been to Houston, so it's been pretty interesting, even the butterflies."

Her laugh showing how happy she was, Brennan leaned over and kissed Booth once more. The last few months had been extremely stressful and this vacation had been what both she and Booth had needed. She had never seen her boyfriend so relaxed. "It's a shame we have to go back tomorrow, but we'll have to plan a vacation in the fall. That cabin you spoke of sounds very romantic."

"Oh, it is, Bones, it really is." The thought of the both of them alone in a cabin in the woods made Booth realize just how lucky he was that they were more than partners. "I'll definitely talk to Carl about letting us use the cabin. Definitely."

Ooooooooooooooooo

After they returned home and dropped Parker off at his mother's house, Booth drove them back to their apartment where they unpacked and started doing laundry. While the wash was going, Brennan sorted the mail, making two piles, one for all of her mail and the other for Booth's mail. They had dropped by the grocery store on the way home and Booth unloaded the groceries in the kitchen. When he opened the vegetable crisper drawer in the fridge he had found a hideously rotten tomato and a head of lettuce that was stomach turning to look at. After he ditched them in the trash, he wiped out the crisper with soap and water and then stored the fresh vegetables in the drawer. The groceries put away, he found his pile of mail and started to sort through the letters. "Hey I've been invited by Scotland Yard to come to London and give a talk on how we do things in the FBI and how we have such a high solve rate." He scanned the letter again and thought the whole thing was so cool.

Surprised, Brennan held up an envelope and chuckled. "How interesting. I've been invited by Professor Ian Wexler of Oxford University to give a lecture on interstitial lamellae remodeling."

 _Whatever the hell that is. "_ Cool, um, when is the invite for?" Booth thought it was weird they had both received invitations from England. After checking the date, Brennan showed it to Booth who showed Brennan the date of his invitation. "This is some weird coinky dink shit, Bones."

Since she had no idea how their invitations had been offered for the same time period, Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "Do you wish to go?"

"Do you?" Booth wasn't wild to see Brennan go off by herself to far off London, so if she was going then so was he.

"I think so." Brennan didn't want to be separated from her mate, so she hoped he would choose to accept his invitation. "I think it would be an interesting experience and I think you should accept too."

Setting the letter aside, Booth smiled. "Well, looks like we're going to London Bones. Maybe we can see a castle or something while we're there."

Glad Booth was willing to go, Brennan set her letter aside too. "If we have time, I think we could find one to visit. If not, we could go see Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard. I think you might find that interesting."

"Well, it's settled." Booth didn't like to travel too much since he was out of the army, but since he was going to be with Brennan, he was sure it would be a lot of fun.

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	56. Chapter 56

(The Yanks in the U.K.)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Their first lectures were scheduled on the same day at almost the same time, so neither could attend the other's presentation which was fine with Booth since he knew he'd be a fish out of water at Brennan's lecture. "How'd it go? I bet you kept them on their toes."

Spooning up some of her soup, Brennan paused to answer the question. "My audience was very attentive and Dr. Wexler was quite amusing." The vegetable broth was quite good and Brennan continued to eat it while it was still hot.

Booth's lecture had gone well too and he'd received a lot of offers for drinks at the nearest pub from the policemen who had attended his lecture. "I think mine went pretty good too. Some of the guys wanted me to go out and get a drink with them, but I told them I had a date. I don't think they believed me, but I don't care. Drinks with them wasn't going to better than being with you." The beef on his plate was a little rarer than he was used to, so he hoped the blood on his plate didn't gross out his girlfriend. "So, Dr. Wexler . . . isn't he the professor that invited you over here?"

"Yes. He is very flirtatious." Brennan had found Wexler's advances toward her to be interesting, but his persistence had caused her to finally explain to him that she was in a relationship with someone else. "And he is quite handsome and very charming."

Carefully placing his knife and fork down, Booth looked at Brennan and tried to figure out if he had anything to worry about. "Since I'm going to be free tomorrow, I think I'd like to attend your second lecture. I've never been to Oxford and I think I'd like to see it."

"The architecture is quite interesting. Oxford is the oldest surviving university in the English speaking world. It has been in existence since at least 1096." Brennan noticed that Booth had stopped eating. "Aren't you hungry? You said you were earlier."

"Oh yeah, it's just a little rarer than I like that's all." Booth picked up his fork and speared a piece of the cut meat. "I hope it's not grossing you out. I could order something else."

The sight of the blood pooling round the piece of meat on the plate was a little off putting, but Brennan kept her eyes away from her partner's plate of food. "No, I'm fine." So far, she had managed to get Booth to each two vegetarian meals a week, but she knew he would never give up eating meat entirely. "My soup is quite good."

They continued their meal, talking about what they planned to do after Brennan's lecture the next day. Booth still had hopes of seeing at least one castle before they left England and Brennan was determined to help him fulfill his wish.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

He didn't like Ian Wexler the minute Booth met him. The professor was very charming and the man knew it which made him almost unbearable to be around as far as Booth was concerned. Wexler's constant flirting with Brennan was starting to irritate Booth to the point of distraction and Brennan had finally picked up on that fact. "Dr. Wexler, Booth and I have enjoyed our visit, but we must be on our way now. We plan to take a trip into the country to see Hever Castle this afternoon."

Disappointed that such a beautiful woman was immune to his charms, Ian sighed and bowed his head slightly. "Well, it was indeed a pleasure to meet you Dr. Brennan . . . oh and Agent Booth of course. Perhaps we can get together before you return back to America."

 _Not if I can help it, Sport._ "Maybe, we'll see." Booth knew that Brennan hated for him to talk for her, but he wanted nothing to do with the smarmy professor after they left Oxford. "Come on Bones, we have a train to catch." Capturing her hand in his hand, Booth gave her his brightest smile. "Didn't you say that Hever Castle has a moat around it? That sounds so cool."

A quick good-bye to her host and Brennan followed Booth to the car he had rented. "Yes, it does. In fact, it has two moats."

"Cool." They had debated going to the Hever Castle and the Leeds Castel and Brennan had thought Booth would like the Hever Castle the best. "Riding an English train will be pretty interesting too. I've never been on anything other than Amtrak."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The tour of Hever Castle had been fascinating to the couple and after eating a late leisurely lunch, they had returned to London to find they had several messages waiting for them at the front desk of their hotel. "Shit Bones, Scotland Yard wants our help with a case. Some American has got herself murdered and I guess her father is raising hell . . . Damn it, I didn't come over here to work."

After she read her messages, Brennan handed them to Booth to read. "Apparently, Dr. Wexler consults with Scotland Yard in a similar capacity like I do with the FBI and he is asking me to help with the case, the one that Scotland Yard would like your help with . . . Do you wish to do it? I think it would be an excellent opportunity to show Scotland Yard how we work a case together."

Resigned to the fact that Brennan was interested in the case and she was just waiting for him to give in, Booth sighed and nodded his head. "Okay, but I'm doing this under protest. Scotland Yard doesn't need our help. This is just some political bullshit and you know it."

Brennan didn't know that at all. "Or they just want to use our expertise. We do have an exemplary solve rate and they may just wish to take advantage of our experience."

He didn't believe that for a minute, but Booth decided to let Brennan's statement stand. He just hoped they solved the murder quickly, so they could go see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace before it was time to go home.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth had been right, the only reason why he had been invited on the case was because the father of the murdered woman was a rich American businessman and the man had thrown his weight around to get the FBI involved in the case. Since Booth didn't have any jurisdiction in England, he found the whole thing to be exasperating. He had had to beg for a gun from Scotland Yard Inspector Cate Prichard and it seemed to him that Prichard was trying to keep a tight rein on him which interfered with his investigative style. He also found that he loathed driving in England and he wanted to go back home as soon as possible. Why the English insisted on driving on the wrong side of the road was beyond him and he wasn't about to ask Brennan. He knew that would invite a long history lesson about transportation and he wasn't in the mood.

The case ended up being an odd one, with the butler of a Duke claiming that he had committed the murder. Booth didn't believe him, but if the man wanted to take the fall for murder he couldn't do anything to stop it. "I'll be damned if I went down for a murder I didn't commit."

Since Brennan wasn't really sure if the butler had done it or not, she just shrugged her shoulders. "Family loyalties can run deep I suppose. It is how the aristocracy in many countries have kept their power over the centuries." As they drove back to London, Brennan watched the road ahead to make sure that Booth remembered to drive on the left side of the road. He had had a few near misses while driving in England and she wanted to make sure they survived the trip back to London. "It was an interesting case and you did get to see a manor house as well as a castle."

"Yeah, I guess so." As he concentrated on the road, Booth had to admit to himself that the case had been fun if not a bit weird. "Still, I want to go home before something else happens and they try to keep us here. I don't plan on us being here any longer than we have to be. I don't like working vacations and I don't trust them not to find something else for us to do."

It had been fun to work a case with Scotland Yard, but Inspector Prichard's seeming interest in Booth had become a source of irritation to Brennan and she was ready to go home. "We can pack when we get back to our hotel room and I can make a few calls to see if there are any vacant seats available for a trip back to the United States tonight."

"Sounds good to me."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

Guest: I have a lot of law enforcement officers and military in my family and they curse a lot. In this case, I'm trying to write Booth more realistically, but I've actually toned down his language. If he talked like real leo and military talked his conversations would be laced with a lot more blue words than I use in my stories. Keep in mind network television doesn't like curse words on their shows as they have to answer to the FCC.


	57. Chapter 57

(The Finger in the Nest)

I really don't own Bones.

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It wasn't like Booth got to see his son every day, so when he got the chance to take the boy to the park near their apartment and play with him, Booth jumped at the chance. Brennan had a few things to do at the Lab that Saturday morning, so Booth thought he and Parker could play some touch football after breakfast. The boy was learning the rudiments of football and Booth thought his son was a natural athlete. After a few tosses of the ball and some gentle tackles, Parker's attention had been captured by a nest in a tree. Since Booth was always looking for new things to show his son, he thought it might be a good opportunity to show him a bird's egg in the wild. Unfortunately the nest didn't hold an egg. It held a severed finger and Booth was certain his boy had been scarred for life.

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While Parker watched some cartoons in the living room, Booth spoke quietly to his girlfriend in the kitchen. "Bones, what am I going to do? When Rebecca finds out that Parker found a finger in a bird's nest I'll be lucky if she ever lets me see him again."

Pouring iced tea into glasses for everyone, Brennan tried to understand why her lover was so upset. "I don't see how an accidental discovery of human remains can be held against you. It's not like you placed the finger in the nest for Parker to find."

"You'd think so wouldn't you, but you wait and see. Rebecca is going to blame me." Booth took one of the filled glasses and sipped some of the tea. "I think I need a beer." Placing the glass back down on the counter, he opened the refrigerator and extracted a bottle of beer from the bottom shelf. Once the bottle was open, he took a long swallow and then faced Brennan. "Maybe he won't tell her. That would be good."

Trying to be understanding and yet not really comprehending why Booth was so upset, Brennan picked up two filled glasses from the counter. "It was just a finger, Booth. He didn't seem to be upset when you came home and he ate all of his snack. I think you're worrying about nothing."

Booth followed Brennan into the living room and watched her hand Parker one of the glasses of tea. The boy didn't seem to be upset, but Booth couldn't take anything for granted. His son was just a little boy and bloody body parts weren't something normal people wanted to see. Brennan loved to study human remains, but that was her job and he had to see them because he was her partner. His son on the other hand should never see something like that in his lifetime. _I am in so much trouble it's not even real._

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While they worked on the case kicked off by Parker finding the finger, Booth continued to worry about his son. The morning after the boy had found the bloody digit, Rebecca told him that Parker had had a nightmare and Booth was certain that Parker's dream involved the finger. The day after that he got another call from his ex and she told him that Parker had had another nightmare, he didn't want to eat and he didn't want to go to school. So far he hadn't told her about the finger and apparently neither had Parker, but he knew might be forced to do it if Parker's problems continued to escalate.

Booth had seen a lot of victims of violent crime during his career and Parker's behavior seemed to be a red flag that couldn't be ignored. Worried that his son had PTSD from holding the finger, Booth decided he needed to find help for the boy. Since Sweets was such a good listener and he was still pretty young, Booth figured that Sweets would be able to talk to Parker and find out what was going on. Ultimately, he hoped Sweets could fix his son and Rebecca wouldn't find out about the finger. _After all, what she doesn't know can't hurt her, right?_

At Booth's insistence, Sweets talked to Parker and he had found out that the finger wasn't the real problem after all. Armed with new information, the psychologist talked to Booth to let him know that his six year old son was being harassed at school by a girl named Stephanie Clyde who was bigger than he was. Apparently she liked to pick him up and carry him around. Once Booth was certain that the boy wasn't upset about the finger, he knew he'd have to talk to him to make sure he was handling the situation at school correctly. He didn't want Parker to dread going to school because someone was bullying him.

Unfortunately while Booth was trying to deal with his son's issues, he found himself with another problem on his hand. Once their case was over Brennan had a crises and he had to deal with that as well. The dog, Ripley that had been used to kill their victim and he was put to sleep. It was the law and Brennan hadn't realized that was going to happen. She had wanted to adopt the dog and take him home and it almost broke her heart when Booth told her that the dog was dead. "But it wasn't his fault, Booth. He did what his owner told him to do. How is that fair?"

"It's not fair Bones." Brennan looked so sad, Booth wanted to hold her and comfort her, but they were in his office and they had to maintain a professional working relationship when they were in public. If they had been home, he would have held in his arms and tried to help her mourn. "Ripley killed a man and the law states that when that happens the dog has to be destroyed . . . put to sleep. He was considered to be a menace and very dangerous."

Close to tears, Brennan sat on the chair in front of Booth's desk and felt sad for the injustice done to the dog. "What are they going to do with Ripley's body?"

"I don't know." His girlfriend was very compassionate when it came to children and animals and Booth wanted to help her to get through this. "Do you have something in mind?"

She thought about it momentarily and nodded her head. "I'd like to bury Ripley. I don't want his body to be treated like waste. His death deserves some dignity since he wasn't allowed to have any during his short life."

"Alright." Booth leaned forward on his desk and gave her a sad smile. "I'll arrange to pick up the body this evening and we can drive out to the country and bury him. I have to talk to Parker after school today, but once that's done, I'll go get the body and pick you up from the Lab . . . okay?"

"Yes, that's satisfactory . . . what's wrong with Parker?" Brennan had thought the boy was fine when he had found the finger and this was the first time that Booth had intimated that Parker was having a real problem.

He hadn't thought to talk to Brennan about Parker, but he could see that was a mistake. "Sorry, I should have told you. Parker is having trouble with a classmate. A girl is picking him up and carrying him around and it's embarrassing him. I need to talk to him about how to take care of the problem that's all."

"I see." Brennan stood up and picked up her purse from Booth's desk. "If you need my help all you have to do is ask me."

"Thanks Bones." Booth saw the slump in Brennan's shoulders and he knew that she was still sad over the dog's fate. "I appreciate it. I'll see you around five and we'll go take care of Ripley."

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Once Parker was in his truck, Booth drove to the Dairy Queen down the road and pulled into the parking lot. "I thought we could get an ice cream cone."

Eager, the boy grinned at his father. "Thank you."

"Yeah, you're welcome." Booth needed to talk to his son and he thought ice cream afterward would help smooth the situation. "Look, Dr. Sweets told me about Stephanie . . . sometimes situations like that just require you to walk away. It's not running away, Parker. It's just being prudent. You don't have to let Stephanie pick you up and carry you around. If you just walk away that should take care of the problem . . . okay?"

"I guess." The boy thought about it and rubbed the back of his head. "Dad, what if she does it to one of my friends?"

Careful to make sure that Parker understood what he could and couldn't do, Booth grimly shook his head. "Each situation is different, but a good rule to go by is it's okay to walk away from situations when someone is trying to bully you, but it's okay to stand up for a friend. Of course, you don't want to get into fights if you can help it . . . if Stephanie starts bothering one of your friends, just tell him to walk away too. okay?"

"Okay." Parker was certain that there were too many rules, but he would try not to start fights because his father didn't think it was right and he should know since he was a war hero and an FBI Agent. "Can I hit someone if they hit me first?"

"Yes, you can protect yourself, Parker." Booth felt sad that his six year old son was already having to deal with bullies. "If someone is bullying you, you should tell your teacher or your Mom or me, but don't let someone just beat on you. Protect yourself and I'll back you up one hundred percent."

"Thanks Dad."

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Booth found a nice shady spot on the side of the road and pulled his truck over. Once Brennan had found a spot under a large oak tree that she liked, he dug a hole for Ripley, carried the blanket covered dog over to the hole from his SUV and carefully placed him in the hole while Brennan held the shovel for him. "This a pretty spot Bones. I think Ripley would have liked it."

After Booth covered the body of the dog with soil, he turned towards his girlfriend and encouraged her to say something about the deceased dog.

Not really sure why Booth thought it was necessary since Ripley was dead and he couldn't hear her, Brennan gathered her thoughts. "Ripley was a good dog. He didn't want to fight, but his owner wanted him to and because he did he was killed. He didn't want to attack a human, but he did it to please his master . . . It wasn't his fault that his master was cruel and selfish . . . Ripley was a good dog."

Her tears tore at him and Booth dropped the shovel, moved closer to Brennan and held her against his body. "He was a good dog, Bones. You did a nice thing here, burying him in a pretty spot . . . this was a good thing to do."

Tears streaming down her face, Brennan held her arms around her boyfriend and let her grief run its course. She had never owned a dog, but she felt that Ripley would have been a great pet to own. He had such kind brown eyes and he was very loyal. She hoped someday that people would understand how cruel dog fighting really was and that the inhumane sport should end. Dogs were such loyal creatures and they deserved love and respect in return.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	58. Chapter 58

(The Con Man in the Meth Lab)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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"I'm telling you Bones, this case is going to make me famous." Booth was so excited he could barely contain his enthusiasm. "We're ready to go, I just have a few I's to dot and a few T's to cross and we're going to bust this RICO case wide open. I could get a raise and a promotion because of this and I may be able to afford to take you on a vacation to Hawaii, hmm? Sounds cool, right? We can swim with sharks and drink rum drinks on the beach and visit volcanoes if you want to do that and we can stay in a really nice hotel like the one we stayed in in Houston."

"Booth, I'm happy that your RICO case is coming together, but the trip to Hawaii is unnecessary." This was the first time Brennan had ever seen her partner so excited about a case he was working on and it was so fascinating to watch. "I do hope you get the promotion though. You deserve it, you work so hard."

Unable to contain his excitement, Booth pulled on Brennan's hands until she was standing and then pulled her closer to his body. As he started to dance slowly around the living room, Brennan followed his lead and laughed. "When will your case be ready?"

"In two days." Booth stopped dancing and kissed Brennan. "I'm sorry I couldn't work on the last case with you, but I think Agent Harris did a good job. You guys solved it and that's good."

Her arms moved around his chest and she returned his kiss. "I don't like working with other agents, but I know that you have to work on other cases too."

"You're my partner though, so don't get used to working without me." Booth smiled.

"I just said I don't like to work with other agents, Booth." Brennan shook her head and chuckled. "You're teasing me. You really are in a very good mood."

His feet moving again in a slow dance, Booth was pleased that Brennan followed along even though there was no music playing in the apartment. He loved that she was comfortable enough with him to play along with his silliness. "I'm in a great mood, Bones. Nothing could put me in a bad mood right now."

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His attention focused on warrants for his RICO case, Booth couldn't help but show displeasure when someone dared to knock on his office door. Looking up, he was surprised to see his brother standing outside. Since he hadn't talked to Jared in months, seeing him now was not something he had expected. Waving for his brother to come in, Booth noticed he was wearing his uniform. _Navy, I still can't believe he chose the Navy._ "Hey Jared, what brings you around?"

With a quiet confidence, Jared walked in to the office over to Booth's desk and reached out to shake his hand. "You are looking at the new head of Strategic Plans and Policy at the Pentagon."

"You mean they let a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy do that shit?" Booth shook his brother's hand and wondered about the changes in Jared. He had obviously found his niche and it was about time.

Used to his older brother questioning everything in his life, Jared shrugged his shoulders. "They sure as hell aren't going to let Army take care of it." Amused at the frown on Booth's face, the younger man laughed. "I just moved in to my new place and I found out I have to attend a cocktail party tonight and I need a date."

"Don't look at me. I hate cocktail parties." Not sure what he was supposed to do about the date, Booth shrugged his shoulders. "You could ask Cam I suppose."

Now that was good news as far as Jared was concerned. He had admired Cam from a far for a long time and considered her a very beautiful woman. He had been totally jealous of Booth's relationship with Cam when he was in college and now he might have an opportunity to date her. Things were looking up. "Well, let's go ask her."

Pausing to look at the stack of paper on his desk, Booth grabbed his gun from his desk and placed it in his holster. "I guess I can take you to the Lab for a few minutes. I have two cases I'm working on and one of them is time sensitive, so I can't stay away for long."

"I appreciate it, Seeley." Jared moved over to the door and waited for his brother. "I dropped by and saw Pops yesterday. He's looking good."

"Yeah." Surprised that Jared had bothered, Booth knew that his younger brother hadn't seen their grandfather for over a year. "Pops said you hadn't written to him lately."

Not embarrassed at the slightly veiled admonishment, Jared followed his brother down the hallway. "You know how it is. I've been busy."

"It only takes a few minutes to jot down a quick note." As he moved to the elevator, Booth knew that his brother might have responsibilities in the Navy, but he was still an inconsiderate ass when it came to his family.

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After his date fell through with Cam, Jared called his brother and once more asked him to find him someone to take to the party.

"What the hell, Jared. Am I your pimp now?" Booth thought it was ridiculous that Jared couldn't find his own date.

He knew he was irritating his brother, but since that was nothing new Jared ignored the sarcasm. "Come on, I'm new in town. I can't show up without a date. It'll look bad."

Overhearing the conversation, Brennan tugged on her partner's jacket sleeve. "Booth I can go with him. I won't mind."

A little surprised with the offer, Booth thought about arguing against it, but he knew that his girlfriend was trying to be nice to his brother. A quick nod and Booth spoke into his phone. "Bones says she'll go with you."

"Your girlfriend?" Jared considered her hot and quickly agreed, "Thanks Bro" and ended the call before he or his girlfriend changed their mind.

Not surprised that Jared hung up on him. Booth slipped his phone back in his jacket pocket. "Thanks Bones."

"You're welcome." Brennan thought about what she should wear and if she had time to go to her hair salon. "He is new in town and I wouldn't want him to think we don't care about him." She had never met Booth's brother until that morning and she wanted to make sure he didn't feel pushed out of Booth's life since she was living with his brother.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Furious, Brennan left the party and found a cab to take her home. Once she was standing outside her apartment building, she stood on the sidewalk for several minutes while she tried to contain her rage. Earlier that evening, while Jared was sitting next to her at the party, he took the liberty of kissing her. Angry, she had pulled back and let him know she hadn't appreciated his forwardness. "I am living with your brother. How dare you assume that you can kiss me? I am in a monogamous relationship with Booth. What you did is completely unacceptable."

More than a little drunk, Jared shook his head. "Come on, he's not here. What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Her cheeks a bright red, Brennan stood up and glared down at her date. "I don't know what you must think of me and frankly I don't care, but I love Booth and I will not betray his trust. I'm leaving."

"Oh come on. You can't leave now." Jared stood up and grabbed Brennan's arm which caused her to react in an unexpected manner. She slapped him. A few of the other party goers noticed, but they decided to overlook it. "Bitch."

"You are not allowed to touch me." Now she was debating with herself about whether or not to tell Booth. After considering all of the ramifications, she finally decided not to tell him. She didn't want to cause a rift between the brothers. Brennan loved her partner and she didn't want to cause him any mental anguish.

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Since things were going so well lately, Booth couldn't believe what happened next. He and Brennan were working on their meth lab case while he was waiting for a Judge to sign off on his RICO case. They were out of town when he received a text message from his brother and that meant trouble. Something was wrong and Jared needed his help. Dreading the possibilities, he had driven back to the District and dropped Brennan off at the Lab. She wanted to check on Clark to see if he had made in any progress with the bones while she had been out with Booth.

Before she left the truck, Booth cleared his throat and decided to be honest with his girlfriend about what was going on. "Look Bones, the reason we had to come back is because Jared has a problem of some kind and he wants my help. I don't want to hide stuff like that from you. You're part of the family."

"That's okay, Booth." Brennan opened the door and slid out of the SUV. "You find out what is going on and I will see what Clark and Hodgins have discovered about our victim."

Arriving at the scene of an accident, Booth quickly realized that his brother was drunk and he was in deep trouble. The Virginia State Police were on the scene of the crime and due to some animosity between Colonel Wolchuck and Booth it was likely Jared was going to pay a heavy price for his foolishness. Swallowing his pride, Booth had talked the Colonel into dropping the drunk driving case against his brother in exchange for the RICO case he had been working on with the Virginia State Police. He knew he'd have some fast talking to do with the Deputy Director, but he knew he could pave over the problem. What he couldn't do was forgive Jared. Once more his brother had dug a deep hole and pulled Booth in. _When am I going to learn?_

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Very suspicious about the RICO case when she heard about it on the news, Cam managed to get Booth to come to the Lab so she could talk to him about it. The minute she saw him she knew that the RICO case had been given to the State Police because of Jared. Since her friend wasn't willing to talk about it, she kept silent, but she knew that Booth had finally crossed a line he shouldn't. It was one thing to bail out his little brother over harmless pranks, but jeopardizing his career was ridiculous and she would never forgive Jared for being so cavalier with Booth's job.

Their case wasn't going well at that moment and Brennan found it hard to concentrate. The moment she had heard about the RICO case, she began to wonder what had happened and was worried that Booth had done something wrong. As soon as she could meet with him, Brennan confronted her boyfriend. "Booth, what happened to the RICO case?"

Embarrassed about the whole thing, Booth debated with himself whether he could tell Brennan the complete truth.

"Booth, this RICO case was important. Please tell me what happened."

Since he had sworn to be honest with Brennan as much as possible, Booth decided to tell her the truth. "Jared was in an accident last night . . . he was drunk."

"Oh Booth." At this point, Brennan wasn't surprised. She had seen Jared the day before drink to excess at the cocktail party and tried to force a kiss on her. Drunk driving just seemed an extension of what Jared was capable of. "Was he hurt?"

"No, not really." Furious that he had allowed himself to be used once more, Booth jammed his hands in his pants pockets. "I had to give Colonel Wolchuck the lion's share of the credit for the RICO case or he would have busted Jared for drunk driving . . . it would have been the end of his career. I had to do something."

Unable to understand how he could jeopardize his job like that, Brennan crossed her arms against her chest. "You shouldn't have done that Booth. Jared made the mistake and he should have paid for it not you."

His anger flaring, Booth glared at Brennan. "He's my brother. He trusted me to help him and I did. It would have been his career if I didn't help him."

Concerned that Booth was willing to let himself be used, Brennan uncrossed her arms and let her hands fall to her side. "Jared is not a very trustworthy person and doesn't deserve your help . . . He kissed me at the cocktail party and when I objected he told me that what you don't know won't hurt you. He didn't care that we're in a relationship, Booth. I took a cab home."

The blood leaving his face, Booth looked as pale as Brennan had ever seen. "And you kept that a secret from me? . . . Son of a bitch!" So angry he didn't know what to say or do, Booth swung around and stormed through the doorway of the observation room, their suspect in the meth lab case forgotten for the moment.

Shocked that Booth would leave her in such a state of anger, Brennan worried that he might be angry enough to end their relationship. Afraid that she had made a terrible mistake, she knew that if they got past this situation, she would endeavor to be completely honest with Booth from that point on. She had thought she was protecting him, but now that Jared's actions had been revealed, she realized that she hadn't protected Booth at all. If her boyfriend had been given the information earlier he might have thought twice about jeopardizing his career for his brother. Sometimes it was hard for her to judge the right and wrong of a situation and this just proved it to her. It worried her, it worried her a lot.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Booth found his brother in a bar, of course he did. Swinging him around, Booth grabbed Jared by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him closer, almost yanking his brother from his stool. "You kissed Bones? You son of a bitch. You knew she's my girlfriend and that's what you do? What kind of man are you?"

He had never been afraid of his brother before, but at that moment, Jared was very afraid. "I was drunk, I didn't mean it."

Disgusted, Booth released his brother's jacket and jabbed him in the chest. "Drunk at a party in front of your commanding officers? Drunk while driving? Forcing yourself on my girlfriend . . . you're sick Jared . . . you're sick and you need help." Jabbing him once more, Booth felt his anger turn from red hot to feeling nothing at all. Jared was no longer important to him. He had crossed a line that Booth could never forgive. "I'm done bailing you out. No more you hear me? No more."

His eyes glittering with contempt, Jared lost his fear and poked his brother in the chest. "I don't need your help and I'm not sick. I drink a little to relieve the stress and it's none of your damn business what I do or don't do. Kissing Temperance was a mistake, but that's all it was. Get over it. She isn't worth it."

Slashing his hand down, Booth shook his head. "Don't you ever go near Bones again." Abruptly, he turned on his heels and left the bar.

Embarrassed that the other patrons of the bar were staring at him, Jared pulled some money from his wallet, tossed it on the top of the bar and let his eyes scan the room. "Fuck off." Satisfied, he left. There were plenty of bars in the District and he never had to step back into that one again. His brother had gone too far. No one told him what to do and it would be a cold day in hell before he talked to him again.

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Their case on pause, Booth found Brennan in her office and closed the door behind him once he was in the room. "Bones . . . Bones, I'm sorry, I took off like that. I was angry, but not at you. I was angry with Jared and I had to take a walk and clear my head. I don't want my brother to come between us. He's always been a pain in the ass and he always will be. I won't let him destroy what I have with you. Okay? No one comes between us. I love you. You mean the world to me."

Moving quickly across the room, Brennan threw her arms around her boyfriend. "I should have told you about Jared, but I didn't want to hurt you. I know you love your brother."

His eyes closed, Booth held her in his arms and knew she was just as upset with Jared as he was. "Hey, I understand you took care of the situation and you wanted to protect me, but this kind of stuff . . . we can't keep stuff like that a secret. Jared crossed a line that he shouldn't have and he damn well knows it. Drunk or not, he had no right to come on to you . . . I talked to him . . . I told him I won't help him again. If he makes any more messes he has to clean them up. I'm through bailing him out."

Relieved that their relationship was alright, Brennan kissed her boyfriend. "I love you Booth."

"God, I love you so much, Bones. I'm sorry that Jared kissed you and I . . ."

Her lips touched his lips and the conversation stopped. Brennan knew that they would be fine and Jared would play no part in their lives from then on.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	59. Chapter 59

(Double Trouble in the Panhandle)

A/N: Remember my story is AU.

I don't own Bones.

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Sweets had heard about the case that Booth was working on and decided that the Agent might need some advice, wanted or not. Making sure Booth was alone in his office, the psychologist straightened his tie and entered the room. "Agent Booth, I heard that you and Dr. Brennan are working on a case that involves circus people. I'd like to volunteer my expertise. "

Surprised with the offer, Booth smiled as he leaned back against his chair. "And what would a kid like you know about circus people. Going to circuses doesn't make you an expert you know."

Used to Booth's ways, Sweets ignored the mocking smile and sat down on the chair across from the agent's desk. "You may not know this, but I'm adopted. My birth mother was a psychic who worked the circus and carnival circuit in Florida. When I reached the age of my majority I tried to find her, but no one would talk to me. They're a close-knit group and they don't trust outsiders. I never could find out what had happened to her and they didn't care."

"A psychic huh . . . so what's your advice? I have the murder of two young women to solve." Booth pursed his lips. "If they're close lipped I may have to go undercover with Bones . . . If we're circus folk they might talk to us then."

Alarmed, Sweets started to protest. "They're going to know if you're an outsider. You don't even know the lingo."

As he rubbed his chin, Booth thought about his options. "We could do it . . . I could come up with an act. I just need to see if Bones is willing to do it."

A feeling of frustration growing in him, Sweets crossed his arms against his chest. "You won't get anywhere. You don't know anything about the circus."

"You know what Sweets, you can help." Booth leaned forward on his desk and glared at the younger man. "Instead of telling me that I can't do something, why don't you come up with reasons why I can do something. You say you've been around circuses, so we'll use your expertise. Bones and I will call you while we're undercover if we have any questions. If it works, great . . . if it doesn't work, well at least we tried. Those twin girls deserve justice and I'm going to try to give it to them."

"Fine, I'll be on call." Sweets still thought it was a mistake, but if Booth was determined to do it then so be it.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Their case didn't really work out the way they had thought it would and the victims turned out to have died in an accident. They hadn't been murdered at all. Still it gave closure to their family and that's what mattered to Booth and Brennan. Surprisingly, they'd had a lot of fun going undercover and they both agreed that they would definitely have to do that again.

Once they were back home, Booth invaded Sweet's office while he was in session and much to the psychologist's annoyance, his patient took one look at Booth, got up from the couch and left. "Agent Booth, I have office hours. Please do not barge in here and interrupt my sessions."

Ignoring the younger man's indignation, Booth tossed a manila envelope onto Sweets' lap, turned and left. If the boy wanted to be shitty with him, then Booth wasn't hanging around.

Very annoyed with Booth, Sweets was tempted to toss the envelope in to the trash, but thought better of it. Since he had over an hour before his next patient was scheduled, he opened the envelope and found ten sheets of paper inside. Curious he started to read them and soon found himself in a state of shock. Quickly reading through the pages, when he reached the last page, he found the most important piece of information at the bottom of the page and felt an overwhelming sadness wash over him. Unable to prevent them, he felt tears start to streak down his cheeks and heard himself sob. Sitting on his love seat for several minutes he let himself grieve knowing that he needed to do it for his mental health.

A half hour passed and finally the young man placed the papers back in the folder, stood up and grabbed some tissues from a box next to his couch. After he blew his nose several times and ran several clean tissues across his eyes and cheeks, he felt calmer. Checking his watch, he knew there was no way he could have a session with his next patient, so he placed the envelope on his desk, stepped outside his office and spoke to his receptionist. If she noticed his red blotchy face and red eyes, she chose to ignore them and started to call the three patients that were scheduled for that afternoon and rescheduled their appointments.

Since he didn't want to talk to Booth looking like a mess, Sweets walked down the hallway to the restroom, washed his face and the back of his neck and felt a little refreshed. Carefully combing his hair, he made sure he was presentable for his upcoming conversation with Seeley Booth.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

A quick knock on the door frame, Sweets entered Booth's office and closed the door behind him. Clearing his throat, he stared at the Agent in Charge for several seconds, not sure how to proceed.

Booth had known that Sweets would show up sooner or later, so he was prepared. "Come in, Sweets. Want to talk to me?"

"Uh yeah." For a few moments, Sweets stood by the door, frozen in place.

Certain he knew what the boy was going through, Booth tried to be patient. It wasn't every day that someone dropped a bomb on you and sometimes you had to deal with things whether you were prepared or not. "Want to sit down?"

Slowly nodding his head, Sweets walked over to Booth's desk and sat down facing the agent. "I read the papers."

"I figured."

"Yeah . . . how did you get that information? I've been looking for years?" Sweets was still stunned with what he had read and he was having a hard time concentrating.

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "I'm an FBI Agent. If I really want to know something I have ways of finding out. You don't really need to know who I got involved in finding that stuff out. You just need to know that it's authentic and you can trust what you read."

"I . . ." Sweets wasn't sure what he wanted to say. Maybe thank you? "Yeah, um, thank you for finding out for me. I've tried for a few years to find out what happened to my mother, but . . . anyway now I know. I guess I really am an orphan now. My adopted parents were old when they adopted me and they died right before I started working here. Now that I know that my mother is dead . . . I'm alone."

Sympathetic, Booth leaned forward on his desk and gave the younger man a rather sad smile. "You needed to know. I found the envelope on my desk this morning when I came in and after I read it, I thought you needed to know as soon as possible. I'm sorry for your loss, both for your biological mother and your adopted parents. It's tough to lose a parent."

"Your father is still alive . . . your mother walked away from her family when you were a kid and far as I know she's alive too." Sweets didn't seem to have control over anything he said. "At least you knew your real parents and you had a grandfather that loved you. I loved my adopted parents don't get me wrong and they loved me, but you still have a family and I don't, so you don't really know anything about losing a parent."

Not sure why he wasn't angry with the younger man, Booth decided that perhaps it was because the boy hadn't said anything that wasn't true. On the other hand, he couldn't let what Sweets said go unchallenged. "Yeah, having my parents in my life was great. I was beat by old man more times than I could count. What's a few broken bones here and there? The young heal quickly right? . . . and yes, it was great that my mother walked out on me and left me and Jared behind with a sadistic bastard. Lucky me, lucky us."

Embarrassed, Sweets realized that he had humiliated the older man after he had gone out of his way to actually help him. "I am so sorry Agent Booth. I don't know why I said those things . . . I wasn't thinking really . . . I just found out my mother is dead and I just . . . I didn't mean to say those things really . . . Thank you for finding out about my mother I do appreciate it. It was a great thing to do for me and I didn't mean to pay you back by being so mean to you . . . I'm sorry."

Booth could see that the youngster was upset for talking to him the way he had and he didn't see any reason to not forgive him. "Look we all say things we don't mean when we're given a shock. Just forget about it. I'm glad I could give you some closure."

Thankful for Booth's kindness, Sweets stood up and nodded his head. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Booth watched the younger man move slowly over to the door and stopped him before he reached it. "You're not alone Sweets. You have friends, don't forget that . . . I haven't seen my father and mother since I was a child. As far as I'm concerned, they aren't part of my life, so they might as well as be dead. Yeah, my grandfather saved my life and took me and little brother in to his home and he raised us. We were loved, just like you were with your adopted parents . . . the thing to remember is you have to create your own family. I found Bones and we created our own family. You can do the same thing. You don't have to live in the past. I don't, Bones doesn't . . . well she does, but not the current past just the ancient past . . . You're young. You'll find someone someday to share a life with and you'll have a family that you can count on."

The agent's words were spoken softly and with sincerity which Sweets appreciated. It appeared that Booth had forgiven him for lashing out at him and was willing to help him. "Thank you. I'll remember that."

After the psychologist was out of the room, Booth sat back against his chair and sighed. He hadn't meant to talk to the boy about his parents and he knew that some of that stuff was in his personnel file, but it was something he didn't like to think about. He had learned as a young man it was better to live in the present than it was in the past. Sweets was going to have to learn that lesson on his own. He was young and it would take time, but he'd eventually get it.

In the meantime, Booth considered himself to be a lucky man. He had found someone that loved him and was willing to put up with his shit. He didn't need his parents and he was doing well without them. He knew that not everyone found their soul mate, but he had and he was eternally grateful.

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Let me know what you think of my story. I appreciate it.


	60. Chapter 60

(Fire in the Ice)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I really don't own Bones.

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Hockey was one of the sports that Brennan found hard to watch when Booth was playing. She hated to see him get hit with sticks or knocked down and it wasn't unusual to find bruises on his body after a game. Still, her boyfriend loved hockey and she felt that she had to be there for his games cheer leading his team on no matter how good or bad they were playing.

Cam absolutely loved hockey and attended all of Booth's games. He had introduced her to the game years ago when they had been a couple for a while and her joy had never diminished. Much to her brother's irritation, she rooted for the Flyers during hockey season since that was her team instead of the Rangers. While at Booth's games, she often sat next to Brennan and whoever else showed up from the Lab or the Hoover cheering wildly for Booth's team.

This particular game seemed to be excessively brutal with both sides very aggressively going after players on the opposite team. Not particularly surprised, Cam witnessed Booth lose his temper and beat a player named Pete Carlson on the 'The Firedawgs' team. Booth was outraged that Carlson was getting away with cheap and dangerous tricks against his players and the refs were turning a blind eye. After he knocked Carlson to the ground Booth was thrown out of the game, but not before he broke his hand which upset Brennan.

"Why did you remove your gloves?" Brennan found it ridiculous to start a fight and remove the gloves protecting your hands. Now his right hand was broken and she was sure he would have to wear a cast. "You're right handed and you broke your right hand."

His broken hand throbbing in time with his heart beat, Booth carried his sports bag in his left hand. "Well Carlson kept his helmet on, the asshole . . . he hurt Wendell, I couldn't let him get away with that."

Wendell followed along behind the squabbling couple, holding an icepack against his head. "Hey, I can take a cab home."

Her irritation rising, Brennan continued to lead the two men to Booth's SUV. "Don't be ridiculous Mr. Bray. You need to be examined by a physician and Booth needs his hand x-rayed. I'm driving you both to the ER. At the very least, Booth has a broken hand and you may have a concussion."

The tone of voice she used let them both know that they would be doing exactly what Brennan said and she wouldn't allow any other scenario to occur.

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That Booth was even considered to be a murder suspect by the FBI filled Brennan with outrage. Trying her very best to make certain that her boyfriend was part of the investigation of Pete Carlson, she made sure Payton Perotta, the FBI lead on the case understand that Booth was her partner and Perotta was not welcome.

During the case, Brennan noticed that the blond agent was occasionally flirting with Booth and she realized that she was jealous. Since most people knew that Booth was her boyfriend, she found it disrespectful on Perotta's part to be flirting with someone who was already spoken for. "At least she could do it when I am not in the same room."

Booth heard the anger in her voice and he knew that Brennan was feeling insecure. "Hey, Bones. Perotta is just being friendly that's all. You know I'm not interested in anyone but you." As he tried to pull her into his arms, he was met with resistance.

Frustrated with the situation, Brennan evaded Booth's grasp and moved across the room to stand near the bookcase holding her glass daffodil. "It is unprofessional for Perotta to be making sexual advancements towards you. You are both investigating a murder. Where is the respect for the murder victim?" Her arms tight against her breasts, Brennan fumed at the audacity of someone hitting on Booth. "I do not think she is a very good investigator."

Very careful not to show any amusement, Booth sat down on the couch and stared at his partner. "She is a very good investigator, Bones. That's why she's on the case . . . Look I'll talk to her and make sure she knows I'm already taken, that I belong to you."

"You don't belong to anyone." Brennan glared at Booth and wondered why her emotions were so out of control. She felt she was blowing the situation beyond all proportion and yet she didn't seem to have control over her emotions. "But you are living with me . . . I don't like her."

"Yeah, I don't like her either." Puzzled why Brennan was so emotional over nothing, Booth decided to treat the whole thing very seriously. "She's definitely not my type and I'm not even remotely interested in her . . . You're my standard, Bones. You know that. No one is as beautiful as you are, no one. No one is a smart as you are either or . . . or as sexy."

His voice filled with love and sincerity, Brennan calmed down and moved over the couch. Staring down at her boyfriend, Brennan smiled in appreciation. "I am your standard and you are mine."

Booth stood up and placed his left hand on her wrist. "Hey, Perotta is temporary. Once we find out who the killer is she'll go back to handling her own cases and she won't be part of our team . . . I'll talk to her and make sure she knows that I'm committed to you and I'm not interested . . . I think it's just a bunch of harmless flirting, but I'll make sure she knows I do belong to you and I do, Bones. I belong to you and you belong to me."

Moving her hands to his waist, Brennan leaned forward and kissed him. "Well, if you wish to say you belong to me then I suppose that will be alright . . . I'm not sure why I let Agent Perotta's behavior bother me so much, but it has . . . I will endeavor to try to control my . . . possessiveness in the future."

"Nah." Booth loved Brennan's possessiveness. "You're fine, don't worry about it." He pulled her closer and kissed her. "Besides, it's really hot, damn hot . . . Hey, want to make out? I still have one good hand."

Amused, Brennan stared down at the cast and chuckled. "Well, I'm pretty sure we could get around the problem even if both of your hands were in casts, don't you?"

"Damn right."

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His concussion worried her, but the case was over and Perotta was no longer part of the team. As they skated around the rink, Brennan held on to Booth's arm. "I'm not very good at ice skating."

Booth held Brennan's arm against his side and tried to make sure they didn't fall. "You're not so bad, it just takes practice. You're doing better than you did in Houston. We need to skate more so you can get better that's all."

"Perotta wanted to be part of our team." Brennan had noticed that after Booth had talked to the agent that she had been more professional towards her boyfriend for which Brennan was grateful. "She seemed to be an efficient investigator."

As he slowed to make a turn, Booth glanced at Brennan and he was certain the green-eyed monster was still lurking in Brennan's mind. "Well, she's not part of the team. I'm your FBI Agent and no one else can apply for the job."

In complete agreement, Brennan laughed. She was feeling cheerful now that Booth had been exonerated and her team was whole again. "That is correct, no one else needs to apply for the position. I only work with the best and you are the best.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	61. Chapter 61

(The Hero in the Hold)

A/N: This is a reminder that I am not retelling the Bones episodes. My story is AU and I'm writing the things that might have happened if Booth and Brennan had been a couple at this point.

I don't own Bones.

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He'd almost died. She found it so hard to believe that she had almost lost him forever in a fiery death in the hold of a ship, but he was saved and she wouldn't have to go on without him. When she had seen him standing on the deck she had felt faint with relief. The terror she felt as he failed to immediately run to her and safety made her almost leave the helicopter to help him, but because of the helicopter pilot's warning, she had stayed in the vessel and screamed for Booth to hurry to her. She knew that they had but a few minutes to rescue Booth or the pilot would leave without him. When he was finally in the helicopter, his arms around her, she had allowed herself to cry. It had been so close and she never wanted to go through that again.

After they returned home from the hospital, Brennan insisted that Booth go to bed and he had complied. He was suffering from the effects from being tasered and drugged when he had been kidnapped. He had also suffered from dehydration and exposure to the chilly sea waters that had poured into the ship when he had escaped the lower depths of the ship. To add to his problems, he had a minor concussion which was the result from being thrown to the deck when he'd used an explosive to expose a stairwell to get to topside. The doctor had sent Booth home with orders to rest and to Brennan that meant bed rest.

Exhausted, Booth was beyond arguing with Brennan's plans for him. He was so tired he could barely get undressed and the idea of putting on sweats or shorts to sleep in would require more strength than he had at the moment. As he lay down, Brennan covered his naked body with a comforter and sat down next to him. "Sleep Booth. I'll be here when you awaken."

As he closed his eyes, Booth nodded his head. "Thank you Bones . . . thank you."

"You're welcome, Booth." She brushed her hand across his cheek and felt the coolness of his skin. Brennan knew that Booth would be alright, but she still felt deep anger for the gravedigger. "We have the gravedigger in custody. She can't hurt you or anyone else ever again. It's okay to sleep. No one will steal you from me again."

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To say he was shocked would be an understatement. The fact that his brother had jeopardized his career to save his life meant a lot to Booth, but it was unexpected. Jared had never done anything for him in his life. All of the favors ever done between the brothers had always been one-sided and Booth usually ended up on the wrong side of the favor. His brother was the most self-centered man Booth had ever known and yet he was going to be court-martialed because he had broken the law to save his brother.

As he sat in the waiting room, Booth mulled over the fact that he owed his life to his brother. An odd turn of events if there ever was one.

Surprised to see Booth in the waiting room, Jared opened the door, entered the room and sat down. "What are you doing here?" Jared wasn't sure if he was pleased to see his brother or not. The last few days had been surreal to say the least.

"I wanted to check on you and see how you are." He wasn't sure there was anything he could do for his brother, but he would try. "And I wanted to thank you for helping Bones save me . . . I know you're in deep trouble because of it . . . I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Jared leaned back against his chair and gave his brother a smirk. "I've told you before, I carry my own water. You were in trouble. When Temperance told me how I could help, I did it. If you thought I was going to stand by and let you die . . . well, you never did understand me very well. I'm not a complete asshole no matter what you think."

Booth chewed the inside of his bottom lip for a few seconds and then nodded his head. "No, I guess not . . . I want to testify at your court martial. Maybe we can still save your career."

"You can if you want to, not that it will do any good." Jared had already talked to his lawyer and he knew his naval career was gone. "You can't save me this time, Seeley. I'm out and there isn't anything you can to do stop it . . . I'd do it again if I had to. You're not the only one that's willing to risk his career for family . . . yeah, I know how you got me off the hook with the Virginia State Police. I guess it's what we do. Blood is thicker than water and all that other bullshit."

He didn't consider loyalty to family bullshit, but he wasn't there to argue with his little brother. "I haven't told Pops yet . . . Me and Bones plan to go see him this weekend and tell him what happened. I can't tell him on the phone."

Jared shrugged his shoulders. "He'll be pissed I guess . . . Still, it doesn't matter. He'll forgive me, he always does whenever I screw up . . . You know Temperance is really someone to have on your side. You're lucky. The way she moved heaven and earth to save your sorry ass . . . She didn't care who she insulted. She was willing to crush anyone that stood in her way and the way she figured out that Taffet was the Gravedigger . . ." Jared shook his head. "Damn Taffet didn't have a chance. That bitch went down and I'm glad. At least she can't kill anyone else."

"No, she can't." Booth had been so relieved when he had heard that the Gravedigger had been captured. "Life doesn't mean anything to Taffet. She's killed kids as well as adults, all for money . . . I hope she fries."

"Me too." Jared noticed his brother looked a bit haggard, but since it was a miracle the man wasn't dead, being tired was the least of his problems. "When you see Pops tell him not to worry about me, I'll be fine. I always am . . . I'll just find something else to do."

Booth knew that Jared had a hard path to follow if he got a dishonorable discharge, but if he really tried, he knew that his brother could still make something of his life. "I'll try to help you if you need it. Bones and I are looking around for a new house. We want a place of our own. I think she wants a house with at least four bedrooms and if that happens, we'll have room for you if you need it."

"Thanks, but I have plans." The last thing Jared wanted was charity, not from his brother anyway. "I might visit you, who knows, but I'm not a charity case."

"I didn't say you were." Booth held his temper in check. His brother had a way of making him angry and he needed to make sure to remain calm. The man had saved his life and he was in trouble with the Navy. He wasn't going to pile on. "I'm just saying if you need to stay with us for a few days down the road, we'll have room . . . I'm going to contact your lawyer and see if my testimony will help. I want to at least try."

Jared stood up and walked over to the door. "Don't forget to tell Pops that I love him and I'll call him as soon as I can." His brother's concern was starting to make him feel a sense of dread he hadn't felt until now. Maybe he was kidding himself, but he still felt that a court martial wasn't the end of the world. Maybe he'd take a trip overseas. That might be fun and why not have some fun? He was due to have a good turn of luck, wasn't he?

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	62. Chapter 62

(The Critic in the Cabernet)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"I've been thinking about having a baby." Brennan flipped through her magazine until she found the article she wanted to read, 'Inhabiting Ocular Ground: 'Kinshasa's Future in the Light of Congo's Spectral Urban Politics'.

Shocked would have been an understatement if anyone had asked Booth how he had reacted to her statement at that moment. "Um . . . a baby?"

"Yes, I think I'm ready and I know you would like another child." She paused and placed her magazine on her lap. "You are still interested in having a baby, aren't you?"

"Um . . . yeah." Booth was starting to feel foolish. His mind didn't seem to want to get past the shock of her first statement. "If you want to . . . you really want to have a baby?" He wasn't sure what was going on, but he hoped she was serious. "I mean having a kid with you would be great . . . fantastic." He left his bowl on chili on the table and walked over to where Brennan was sitting. As he sat down, he tried to tamp down some of his growing enthusiasm. "Did you mean like now or in the future? I want to be on the same page as you are."

Puzzled, Brennan glanced at her magazine and realized that Booth was not referring to a real magazine or book. "I mean now. I have thought about it. We plan to buy a house together and that means we will have room to take care of a baby. We do have the guest bedroom here, but I am certain Parker wouldn't care to share a room with a baby."

"No . . . he really wouldn't like that." Booth could imagine Parker would be a very unhappy little boy if he had to share a room with a crying baby. "When we look for our house I guess we'll need at least three bedrooms."

"Four bedrooms." Brennan felt that Booth wasn't being practical. "We should make a list of our needs when we search for the house. Clearly we need a master bedroom for us, a bedroom for Parker, a bedroom for our future progeny and of course we need a guest bedroom for Hank or Max when they choose to stay with us. If we purchase a two-story house we will have to look for one with a bedroom downstairs. It would be dangerous to ask Hank to climb stairs . . . We'll need a kitchen of course."

"Of course." Booth was amused. This was starting to sound like a long 'I want' list and a very expensive one too. "A living room."

Brennan stood up and walked over to her laptop resting on the dining room table. Quickly signing on, she started to make a list. "A den for you for your sports memorabilia and the television."

Getting caught up in the excitement, Booth moved over to the table and sat down next to Brennan. "You need an anthropology cave."

"Yes." Brennan wrote that down and added a garage. "A spacious backyard. The front yard doesn't need to be very big. Most socializing is done in the backyards of most of homes . . . a laundry room would be convenient as would a garage. If we have a garage, you can stop renting your storage unit and keep your mustang there."

"Don't forget bathrooms." Booth had meant that to be funny, but Brennan of course took it very seriously.

She quickly wrote 2 ½ baths. "We'll need a master bath and a bathroom for the children and a bathroom downstairs. I think a half bath downstairs would be alright. We could convert it later and include a small shower with a seat. That way Hank will be safe when he bathes."

Booth looked at the list and sighed. "We can't afford that. We're talking about a pretty big house there. You know housing prices are ridiculous around here."

Brennan didn't see a problem. "I have more than enough money to buy a house for the both of us."

Alarmed at the suggestion, Booth shook his head. "When talked about it we agreed we'd look for a house that I could help pay for. I don't want you to pay for a house by yourself. I've been saving the money I used to pay for rent. I have a nice nest egg right now, but it's not enough."

Aware that Booth's alpha pride was coming into play, she sighed and turned to stare at him. "Booth . . . Booth I know you want to pay for part of the house, but that may not be possible. Not if we want to buy a house that fits our needs. We can look in Maryland and Virginia. We don't have to have a house in the District, but even then, houses are going to be very expensive."

He knew she was right, but he just couldn't let her pay for the house by herself. His father had been a useless drunk and he had grown up in a very poor housing area in Philadelphia. The house they had lived in was rented and should have been condemned and not rented to the Booth family. He didn't want to be like his father, good for nothing and unable to provide for his family. Running his hand through his hair, he tried to think of a way he could afford to help pay for a house and he knew he couldn't do it. At least not the house Brennan wanted to buy. He had so many obligations his money was always tight. Parker's child support and college fund took a big bite out of his paycheck. He also helped pay for Hank's house repairs when they were needed and the house was old and it needed it all the time. Like everyone else he had bills and they had to be paid on top of his obligations.

"Booth, we don't have to move. We can stay here." He was too quiet and Brennan knew he was internalizing the situation too much. His pride was fighting with him and she didn't want to see him angry or upset over this situation. It wasn't necessary. They had plenty of time to do the things they wanted to do. "I'm not pregnant and we can wait until you have saved a bigger down payment to help me pay for a house." She thought it was ridiculous that he couldn't let her pay for a house, but she wasn't going pursue it if it caused a rift between them. It wasn't worth it to her. "We'll just stay here and plan for a baby later."

Her words had broken through to him and he realized that she was giving him a way to salvage his pride, but the price was steep, too steep. "No Bones, I'm sorry. Here I am trying not to be my Dad and that's exactly who I am."

"What?" She was confused and she didn't like what she was hearing. "You are not your father."

"But I am, Bones." He was embarrassed, but he knew he needed to explain. "My mother was a jingle writer for a while. She was pretty good and she started to make good money. More than my Dad made. She tried to fix some of the things wrong with the house we were living in because she knew the landlord wouldn't do it and neither would my Dad . . . At first he didn't seem to notice, but eventually he did and he . . . he beat her and threatened her and he told her she couldn't write any more jingles. He forced her to quit her job because he was the breadwinner . . . Bones I would never keep you from having anything you want. You want a house and you want a baby . . . I have no right to keep you from having those things because I don't have the money. You . . ."

She had heard enough. "Booth, you aren't depriving me of anything. I didn't say we would never have a house. I said we could wait until you've saved more money to help with the purchase."

He knew she was trying to make it easy for him and he didn't want her to. "No, we can't. This is a partnership. You and I make decisions about stuff like that. I'm not my father. I'm not . . . We're going to look for a house and you can pay for it, but you have to use the money I've saved so far to help pay for it. Maybe I can pay the utilities and the upkeep of the house, something that makes me part of the deal . . . I want you to buy the house Bones. I do and we can try to expand our family, get you that baby we both want."

"We are partners, Booth." Brennan knew that Booth was a very proud man, but he also was a fair man or at least he tried to be. "It never crossed my mind that you were trying to deprive me of anything because I know that isn't who you are . . . You are not your father and I am not your mother."

Booth leaned over and kissed her. "I over reacted. I do that sometimes . . . we'll start looking tomorrow. I still think we'll have to look outside the city, but that's okay. If we want that big backyard then we'll have to look at the suburbs."

"That's fine." And it was fine. "I'm still taking birth control, but I can stop tomorrow."

"Alright." Booth stood up and pointed towards the bedroom. "Want to practice baby making?"

Amused, Brennan chuckled. "I think we get enough practice as it is, but then again I do love sex."

"Yeah, I know." Booth moved towards the bedroom. "Me too."

Ooooooooooooooo

It happened so fast. One minute Booth was calm and talking to their murder suspect and the next minute he was arguing about houses and babies with an invisible person across the table from where he sat. Brennan wasn't sure if Booth was trying to argue that he wasn't his father and he would never allow his pride to ruin the good things in his life or if he was just arguing that he wasn't his father and he wouldn't let the invisible person say he was. Either way, the conversation was very disturbing to both her and the murder suspect.

Once she got Booth out of the interview room and she found out he had been arguing with a cartoon character she knew that Booth was in serious trouble. Afraid for him, she told Booth that they had to go to the hospital because something was wrong with him. At first he had balked, but the look of fear on his girlfriend's face made him realize that perhaps she was right. After they reached the hospital and a neurologist had seen Booth, he ordered a CAT scan done and the diagnoses was grim. It was possible Booth had a cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma and they needed to remove it as soon as possible.

Before she had entered Booth's room, Brennan had arranged to observe the operation with her boyfriend's surgeon. She wasn't sure what purpose that would serve, but she knew it had to be done. For her peace of mind as well as Booth's.

Brennan had never been so afraid in her life. The man she loved, the one person in the world that tried to understand her no matter how complex the situation was and who loved her unconditionally was in trouble and it was possible she could lose him. She knew she had to be calm for both of them, but it was so hard to do. Booth hated doctors and he didn't trust them. His experiences at Walter Reed when he was a young man made him wary of most specialists. Since he didn't understand most of the things they said to him, he trusted his partner to interpret medical jargon for him whenever he had contact with them.

He was an intelligent man, but he felt that most physicians hid behind the science instead of talking in plain simple terms. "What does it mean, Bones. A brain tumor, right? Do you think it's malignant?" The thought of dying before he got to become a father with Brennan was almost more than he could bear. He had dreamed of being a father again and now that she was ready he wasn't and he was so damn angry. "This isn't fair Bones. We just decided to become parents and now this . . ."

She knew he was upset and she needed to calm him down. He needed to go into surgery in a positive mood. It was imperative that he thought he would survive. "Booth, chances are it isn't malignant, but it does have to be removed. We can't let it to continue to grow inside your skull . . . once the surgery is done it will take some time to recover, but once you are well again, we can try to have a baby. That doesn't have to change. Nothing has to change if we don't want it to." She felt she was being too optimistic, but she didn't have a choice. Booth had to see that there was hope and he needed it as well as she did.

Booth's experience in hospitals colored his thoughts, but he knew that it was time to calm down. Not for himself, but for Brennan. If this was his last few moments with her, he wanted those moments to be calm and he wanted her to remember him as being brave. He didn't want her to think he was a coward. "No, you're right. When this is done, we can make a baby and we can get our house . . . our house, Bones. Our baby . . . we're going to . . . it's going to be alright."

"Yes." She kissed him and he responded by placing his hand behind her head and kissing her deeply and passionately. It was a strange place to show such public displays of affection, but he knew that he might never get to kiss her again. He wanted to be positive and he wanted to believe he was going to survive this, but if he didn't Booth wanted Brennan to remember that he loved her. "I have a will . . . it's in my desk at work in an envelope marked 'Will'. I wrote it after the Gravedigger kidnapped me and you rescued me. I have a savings account for Parker. It's for his college fund. I left you everything else. Don't just throw my sports stuff away. Get someone to look at it. Some of it is valuable and my mustang . . ."

She didn't want to talk about wills. "Booth, you don't need to tell me about your will. You're going to be fine."

He hoped she was right, but he had wanted to make sure she knew that he had thought of her and he wanted to protect her. "Sure, I know." She looked so sad and he knew that he did too. "You remember that I love you. I'll always love you."

"I will." Brennan watched as two orderlies came into the room and prepared to move Booth to the operating room. He was trying to appear brave, but she saw the nervous tick in his cheek and she knew he was remembering past surgeries. "This time is different Booth. When you were in Walter Reed you were alone. I know your grandfather came to visit you when he could, but you didn't really have anyone else. You do now. I'll be waiting for you and I'll see you after the surgery."

Grateful that he had someone like Brennan in his life. Booth smiled. "I belong to you and you belong to me."

"Yes." Too soon for both of them, the orderlies wheeled Booth out of the room and Brennan followed them until they entered a room she wasn't allowed to enter. The next time she saw her partner, he would be lying on an operating table. She knew she had to set her emotions aside and face the situation with a detached attitude. Booth needed her medical skills put to good use for him and she would do that. She would try to protect him like he would do for her.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	63. Chapter 63

(The Critic in the Cabernet)

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooo

For four days, Booth lay in a coma. After consulting with the neurologist and the anesthesiologist, Brennan knew that Booth's sensitivity to anesthesia was probably what was keeping him asleep. The longer he was in the coma, the more dangerous the situation would become and that worried her a lot. After sitting in the room with him for a few miserable hours, afraid that she would lose him, Brennan decided to write a story for her boyfriend. The story would only be for him and it would be a story she had never tried to write before.

So far, all of the stories she had written and published were murder mysteries centering around Kathy and Andy. This story was going to be different. It was going to be a love story for her mate. She wanted to tell him a story about her love for him and how he made her life so much more interesting and fulfilled. She had been so lonely before she had met Booth. She had had one friend, Angela at the time and that made her world a lonely and isolated place. He had changed that for her. She had discovered that it was possible to love someone and not fear that they would walk away from her. He had showed her that love was real and not just chemicals.

She hadn't really known what her story was going to be about when she started, but as she wrote it, she realized that it would be a murder mystery after all because that was part of who they were. Her story was going to be the anchor between reality and the dream world Booth was in now. She knew from experience he would be able to hear her even if he couldn't respond. At that moment, it didn't matter if he couldn't talk to her or not. She could talk to him. He needed to know that he wasn't alone. Booth needed to know he was loved and he needed to awaken and come back to her.

The story started out as a simple story. She had wanted to make their story exciting and different from real life and yet recognizable to him. He needed to recognize himself in the story and of course he had to connect to her. That was the point of the story. As she wrote word after word, line after line, she read it out loud to her lover.

Brennan was never alone in the four days that Booth was in his coma, but she paid little attention to what was going on around her unless it had to do with Booth's care. Someone would bring her food and she would pause to eat. Someone would insist that she nap for a bit and lead her to a cot across the room. Her laptop resting on the floor beneath her, she would doze just enough to refresh herself then she would retrieve her lap top and begin to write again. For three and half days she wrote her story and then amazingly it was done. Hopeful that Booth would awaken when the story finished, that hope was dashed when he continued to sleep.

Exhausted, she moved her cot closer to Booth's bed, laid down and rested. She knew that once she was a chance to sleep, she would read the story to her man once more. She would read it straight through and he would see that he needed to come back to her. She would not accept any other scenario any other outcome.

As she slept, Booth started his journey back to the real world. His world had been filled with an odd dream being narrated by Brennan's confident voice and he missed her voice so much. He missed the world she had woven for him and he wanted to know why she had stopped. The first time he opened his eyes, he looked around and whispered her name, but she didn't answer. His eyelids heavy, he closed them and went back to sleep. The second time he awoke, he recognized that he was in a hospital. Cam was dozing on a chair in the corner of the room, but he didn't see his partner. Disappointed, he closed his eyes once more and whispered her name as he fell back to sleep. The third time, he awoke, he found Brennan leaning over him and he smiled. "Bones."

Her heart beating rapidly, Brennan cried tears of joy as she hugged his body, careful not to interfere with the tubes attached to his arm or the air tube around his head that helped him breathe easier. He raised his arm and patted her lower arm, trying to comfort her. "Hey, I told you I wouldn't leave you." His voice was rusty, but she understood him.

"No, I know you wouldn't." She kissed him and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You've been asleep for four days. You are very sensitive to anesthesia."

The sad look on her face made him feel bad for her and he knew that she must have been very worried when he didn't wake up after the surgery. "Yeah . . . did they get it out?"

"Yes, the tumor was removed successfully." She was glad she had such good news for him. "It was benign."

"Are you okay?" He glanced at her stomach and frowned. "Is the baby okay?"

A little stunned, Brennan shook her head and leaned closer to her lover. "Booth I'm not pregnant. We talked about it before your surgery, but I'm not pregnant."

He was confused and he wasn't sure he believed what she was saying. "But you told me you're pregnant."

"No, I didn't Booth." She tried to understand what was going on and his next words pulled it all in to place.

"But you told me that you're pregnant. Sure, we've been married for a while and it looked like we might never have a kid, but that's all changed. You told me we're going to have a baby."

She knew he was confused and it was her fault. The story she had written for him had been about their being married and she had been pregnant in the story. It seemed cruel to destroy his dream, but he had to know that it wasn't real. "No, Booth. That was a story I wrote for you. We're not going to have a baby, at least not right now . . . we aren't married Booth. It was just a story."

His confusion grew and he didn't understand why she was telling him what she was telling him. Was she that upset with him? He hadn't meant to sleep so long. Why would she tell him she was pregnant and then say she wasn't? It didn't seem to make sense.

"It was just a dream, Booth." She saw the tear slide down his face and she knew he was upset, but how could she tell him a lie? He had to know the truth. "We live together. We're in a monogamous relationship and yes, we plan to have a baby once you are well, but I'm not pregnant right now. It was just the story I wrote for you while you slept."

"We're not married?" His happiness seemed to be collapsing around him and he didn't understand why. "We're . . . you're not pregnant?"

She placed her hand on the side of his face and stared into his sad face. "No, we aren't married." She watched him nod his head and close his eyes. "Booth, it's alright. I promise. You're just remembering a dream." He didn't respond and that worried her. He refused to open his eyes and look at her and she wasn't sure what she could do to fix the problem. _Why did I write that story? Why?_

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

He wasn't sure why he was so sad. His surgery was a success and according to Brennan he would be able to go home soon. She had been by his bedside while he had slept and he knew that she would have made sure he was well taken care of, but he felt so sad, so unhappy. It was as if he was in mourning. The dream had been so real to him and he had been so happy there. He had been married to the woman he loved and she was going to have his baby, but reality was a different story. They were living together and that was great, but now he was mourning for the loss of a child that wasn't real and for a marriage that never happened.

She worried that he was so quiet. Booth was a vocal patient whenever he was sick or hurt. He constantly complained about constraints, but this time was different. He was quiet and merely responded when asked questions. He didn't ask questions of his own nor did he complain about anything. Brennan wasn't the only one that noticed.

"Booth, Dr. Brennan says you're going home today or tomorrow." Cam took in his gaunt face, the lost weight and wondered if he was eating. "How long will you be off work?"

"I don't know." Booth stared at the game on television, but he only did that to avoid looking at his friend. He wasn't interested in the game. He really wasn't interested in anything.

His apathy was worrisome and Cam wondered if her friend was depressed. It was normal for a patient to go through bouts of depression after major surgery and sometimes they needed chemical help to get through it. Checking his medical charts, she found he wasn't taking an anti-depressant and she thought that was a mistake. She was definitely going to talk to Brennan about it as soon as she could. "Agent Harris is a very good agent, but I really would like you to return as soon as possible. You know everyone at the Lab isn't very good when it comes to change and working with Harris is bringing out the surliness in Hodgins. For a man of science, he doesn't take change very well." She had thought Booth would be flattered or amused, but he didn't respond in any way. "Michelle sends you her love. She wanted to come see you, but she has a cold and we both felt it would be better not to expose you to it."

"Thanks." He appreciated Michelle's thoughtfulness. The child had grown on him since Cam had adopted her and he had started to think of her as his niece. The girl had no one in the world besides Cam and a distant cousin and he knew what that felt like. "I hope she gets better soon."

"Thank you." Clutching his hand, Cam sighed as he continued to avoid looking at her. "What's wrong, Booth? You're doing so well. Your neurologist doesn't think the tumor will affect your abilities or your memory. You might find a few changes in your life, but they should be minor."

His memory was the problem, but he knew he couldn't really expect her to understand. He had been confused when he woke up and for the last two weeks, he had tried to forget the dream world he had lived in for such a short while. That world had been wonderful and he wanted that life back, but he knew that was impossible. It was just a story written for him by his partner. She had written it to connect him to the real world, but she hadn't counted on that world being such a powerful draw to him. The life he had now was wonderful. He had more than he had ever thought he would have. Brennan loved him and he loved her, but that magical world had shown him a world where he could be happy all of the time. In that world, he hadn't had a monster for a father, a mother that had abandoned him. He hadn't been captured as a young man by the Republican Guard and tortured and badly injured. His life had been interesting, but not terrifying. Reality was back and that dream world wasn't his. It would never be his and that made him so damn sad.

Booths' silence was unnerving and Cam was grateful when Brennan returned. She had gone home to do some laundry, pick up her mail, bathe and sleep for a few hours. She had needed that respite and she appreciated Cam's offer to watch over Booth while she was gone. Cam was such a good friend to Booth and she knew that the coroner loved him. Her lover didn't have many people in his life that cared about him and Brennan had come to accept that Cam's friendship was a good thing. "Thank you for staying." Brennan leaned over and kissed Booth who finally looked away from the television. "I ran into your surgeon and he plans on releasing you this afternoon. I brought you a change of clothes, so you can change whenever you like."

Her kindness made him smile. "Thank you." Slowly, he sat up and waited for a wave of dizziness to pass. He had to be careful when he stood up to make sure he was stable enough to move and not fall flat on his face. One of the side effects of his surgery that his surgeon had said would pass.

Cam took her cue and left. "I'll come visit you, Booth."

With Brennan's help, Booth pulled on his pants and shirt and she insisted he sit down while she placed his socks on his feet. Once he was clothed in street clothes, he laid back down and stared at his partner. "Thank you . . . Did you have a lot of mail?"

Surprised that Booth had actually asked her a question, Brennan smiled. "I had a ridiculous pile of mail and so do you. I didn't see anything critical in my mail. I didn't open your mail so you will have to check when you get back home."

"Alright." Booth turned off the television and focused on Brennan. "Bones . . . Thank you for taking care of me. I know I've been kind of a . . . I love my life with you. I really do. That dream world was just that . . . a dream. I know that. Our life is good together, it really is and I don't want you to think . . . it doesn't matter if we aren't married. We're together and that's all I've wanted . . . As for the baby, we'll have a baby someday . . . someday. I love you. I love you not some figment of a dream. I love what we have together . . . okay?"

Her throat felt tight and she didn't trust herself to say anything. She had been worried that Booth was so in love with the dream world that he had experienced in his coma and that he would try to force the issue of marriage. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she motioned for him to move over a little bit and she lay down next to him. "I love you too, Booth."

He placed his arm around her and he stared at the side of her face. "You belong to me and I belong to you. I don't need a fairy world to live in, Bones. Not if I have you with me _."_ He would forget about that happy dream world. A man like him could never live in such a world anyway. It wasn't what he was meant for or deserved and he accepted that. He was lucky to have what he had and he wouldn't destroy it for something that wasn't real.

Ooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	64. Chapter 64

(After 'The Critic in the Cabernet')

Thank you for reviewing my story. I really appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

It was so frustrating and he didn't know what to do about it. He was trying to change the spark plugs on his mustang, but he wasn't having any success. He'd done it so many times before and he'd never had any problems, but now, now he was struggling. Furious, he threw the wrench on the cement floor of the rental he used to store his mustang and kicked the side of his car. "Damn it! This is so stupid!"

Brennan had warned him that his mind might be affected after the surgery, but he was starting to realize that it was going to be the little things that were going to drive him crazy not anything big. He had first found out just what his future was going to be like, when he tried to replace a washer in the leaking faucet in the kitchen sink and couldn't remember how to do it. He had let it ride and decided that it was something he could relearn, but the hits kept coming. He soon found out that he couldn't remember how to make Cioppino and that had been shocking. His grandfather had taught him how to make his wife's favorite dish and now his grandmother's recipe was gone from his head. He'd found a cookbook at the library and struggled with it, but finally made the dinner he wanted even if it didn't taste like his grandmother's version. He would have to ask Pops how to make it and this time he would have to write it down. Maybe he should ask his grandfather to write down all of Grams' recipes before he passed on. God knew what else he had forgotten.

Now he was working on his car and he couldn't replace the spark plugs. What next? What else had he forgotten? Leaning against the car, he stared at the wrench lying on the floor and wondered if the brain tumor had damaged more important things. He had yet to go back to work, but he was already dreading the moment he did. What if he didn't know how to be a cop anymore? What would Brennan do if he couldn't work with her anymore? What would he do?

Resigned to the fact that his car wasn't going anywhere that day, he picked up the wrench and threw it in the tool chest near the wall. Careful not to drop the sparkplugs, he placed them on the bench near the tool box and turned to face his mustang. He loved to restore old cars and if that was taken away from him, he wasn't sure if he was up to relearning how to do it. Wiping his hand on a clean rag, he decided he'd had enough for one day.

Since he was still not cleared to drive, he called Brennan and asked her to pick him up when she had the free time. After he moved a lawn chair in the open doorway of the rental unit he sat down and tried to wait patiently for his ride to appear. _Hell, what if I don't know how to drive? Shit!_

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

She had noticed some of the little changes in her boyfriend before Booth did. In some cases, he didn't recognize the changes and she didn't mention them. He was already afraid that the operation had changed him and his unsuccessful attempt at changing the washer in the kitchen faucet had shown her that he was not going to accept the changes with grace. Booth was an alpha male and he thought he should be able to continue to do the things that he had done before. When he had failed to remember how to make his grandmother's fish stew she saw the look of fear on his face and she knew that the next few months were going to be a struggle for Booth as he recovered from his surgery. She had tried to prepare him, but she knew that nothing can prepare you when your life is changing and you're not ready for it.

She had found him sitting on the lawn chair in front of his storage rental unit and he looked so sad. Instinctively, she had known not to ask him about his car. The sheer look of frustration as he moved the lawn chair inside the building and the way he slammed the door down was all the information she needed to know that he had had another failure and he wasn't taking it gracefully.

As they drove home, Booth glared at the passing traffic while Brennan gave him some needed space and time.

"We should go to the mall tonight after the stores are closed and let me see if I know how to drive anymore."

"What?" His suggestion both startled and worried her. "What makes you think you don't know how to drive?"

Booth shrugged his shoulders and tried not to take his frustration out on his partner. "I don't know . . . I can't replace the sparkplugs on my car . . . I can't change a washer in the faucet, so why not driving too?" He was afraid that he was so damaged he was going to be useless to everyone including himself. "Bones . . . Bones, I'm trying, I really am, but what if I can't do my job anymore?"

She had thought about that and she had already come to the only conclusion that made sense if that possibility came true. "Then you will retire from the FBI and you will find something else to do."

Surprised that Brennan actually had an answer to his question, he turned to look at her. "And what about us?"

"What about us?" Brennan had thought about that too. "You are still the man I love, Booth. Don't you still love me?" That was the question she needed an answer to. He was acting so oddly lately and she wasn't sure what he was feeling.

"Of course I do." Booth was shocked that she would even ask him that. "I love you more than I ever did. That hasn't changed . . . You wouldn't care if I couldn't work with you anymore?"

He sounded so uncertain that she began to wonder what kind of burdens he had been putting upon himself. "Of course I would care, but I can adapt . . . Can you adapt?"

Booth wasn't sure. "I don't know. I'm not sure."

"Well, I'm sure." Brennan placed her hand on his thigh. "You are very adaptable, Booth when you need to be. If you cannot do your job at the FBI then we will find something else for you to do, but I think you are placing your wagon before your ass."

His eyes wide, Booth stared at his girlfriend in surprise. Struggling to understand what colloquialism she had butchered it finally came to him. "Um . . . horse before your cart . . . I think."

Amused, Brennan laughed. "I made you think about it, didn't I?"

Rolling his eyes, Booth leaned over and kissed her. "Yes, you did . . . very funny." And it was. "Thanks Bones. I needed a laugh . . . it wasn't much of a laugh, but it was a little funny."

Her eyes flashing, Brennan glanced at Booth and shook her head before facing the traffic again. "I can be very amusing. You've just forgotten."

"A brain tumor joke? Really?" Booth chuckled. "Okay, I surrender. I'll adapt . . . what choice do I have? I guess I should just stop worrying about if for now. I'll either do my job or I won't. We can cross that bridge when we have to."

Pleased that he seemed to be out of his funk, at least for now, Brennan smiled. "Good. We will go to the mall tonight and you will see that you haven't forgotten how to drive and then we will go home and we'll celebrate with wine and good sex."

"Now that's a plan I can get behind." Booth wondered how he'd got so lucky to have someone like Brennan in his life. He knew that if he was on his own in this disaster, he would probably be more of a mess than he was now. She was on his side and that felt so damn good.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	65. Chapter 65

(Harbingers in the Fountain)

Thank you for reviewing my story. It is the only way I can tell you are still interested in this story.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth was finally released by his surgeon and was told he could go back to work. Filled with uncertainty, he found that he was conflicted about the situation, being both happy and afraid about what might happen when he resumed his job. He was still worried that he might have lost his skills as an investigator.

The last few weeks had been filled with days spent relearning some old skills. Brennan had purchased plumbing books and auto repair books trying to help her boyfriend regain skills he used to have. They had seemed unimportant to her at first, but the look of fear on Booth's face as he stumbled from one lost skill to another made her realize that his tumor had affected him more than his surgeon had believed.

The removal of the tumor had caused some changes in Booth that she had noticed while he recovered. The changes were small and rather odd, which left Brennan wondering just how much if any brain damage Booth had suffered. He had changed the way he walked up stairs, the way he drank a cup of coffee, the way he buttoned up his shirt. All small things and yet they had an accumulative affect.

When she realized that Booth was living in fear that he might be useless she had encouraged him to study the things he had forgotten and much to their relief he was able to relearn the things he had forgot. With her by his side, he had successfully changed the spark plugs in his car which had been a huge relief to both of them. Now that he knew that he could relearn old skills he felt that he might be able to fix the things that were wrong with him. At least he hoped so.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

As he entered his office, Booth noticed a pile of folders waiting for him on his desk. They were stacked neatly on the right side of his desk, while there was several post-it notes affixed to the top of his desk. Annoyed, he moved around the desk, leaned on it and read the post-it notes. Most of them were reminders of upcoming meetings scheduled during the week and one post-it informed him that Human Resources wanted to talk to him as soon as possible.

After he removed his jacket and hung it by the collar on his coat tree, he returned to his desk and sat down. Collecting the post-it notes, he placed them all on a sheet of paper, so he didn't lose them until he had time to enter them into his calendar. Next he started flipping through the folders and found they dealt with a departmental audit that had been done during his absence and the upcoming budget due in six weeks.

As he started to read the material he heard a knock on the doorframe and looked up. Certain that Sweets was there to pump him for information about his recovery, Booth shook his head. "Go away, Sweets. I have more than enough work to do without your meddling."

"Meddling?" The young psychiatrist's feelings were hurt. "I have no intention of meddling in your life, Booth. I'm here to welcome you back and to let you know that you have an appointment with me this afternoon. I have to clear you before you can go back into the field."

That was news to him and Booth didn't like it. "I'm not a loon. There is nothing wrong with me. My surgeon cleared me to come back."

"And I'm glad, but I still have to do an evaluation before you can go back into the field." Sweets was firm since that was the only way he would get Booth to comply. "You will also have to be recertified at the firing range."

He had known about the recertification and he was prepared. Booth and his partner had been practicing at the gun range for the last week. His aim seemed to be okay, but he knew he needed practice. His left eye seemed to lose focus at odd moments, but his surgeon had assured him that it wasn't permanent. He sure hoped that was true. "I can pass the recertification, no problem . . . look I'm really busy. I walked in and found a pile of shit on my desk and I have a lot of meetings to attend this week."

"And yet you have an appointment with me this afternoon at two." Sweets kept his expression neutral. "You can't go out in the field if I say you can't."

That alarmed Booth. "Fine, I'll be there, but it's a waste of time."

"It's my time to waste." Sweets left so that Booth would not be able to talk his way out of the appointment. The agent was very head strong and if he decided he didn't want to do something then he wouldn't do it. Telling him he had the appointment and walking away would force Booth to actually show up.

Annoyed, Booth grumbled as he retrieved his phone from his jacket pocket. As he sat down, he called his girlfriend. "What are you doing?"

 _I'm going through my email. I have quite a bit for some reason._

"Want to have lunch with me at the diner today?" He hoped she'd say yes. He knew it was going to be a long day and lunch with his girlfriend would help remind him that someone was on his side.

 _Of course. I'll meet you there at noon . . . what does your work load look like?_

"It's not bad, a budget to look over, the results of an audit . . . I have a meeting with Sweets this afternoon. He has to say I'm not crazy so I can go back in the field, plus I need to recertify at the gun range.

 _Well you aren't crazy and you will pass the certification . . . just don't push yourself too much. Slow and steady wins . . . something . . . a race?_

"Yeah, a race." Booth thought it was so cute when Brennan screwed up popular sayings. Of course, sometimes she did it on purpose, but that was cute too. "I'll see you at lunch."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

"Well Agent Booth, I'm going to ask you some questions and I need you to answer them truthfully." Sweets watched Booth fold his arms across his chest. The man didn't want to be there and he knew that the agent might not cooperate. "I need to remind you that you need my approval to return to the field with your partner."

Booth was well aware of what was at stake and he hated that he had no control over the situation. He liked the kid, but his career was on the line. "Let's just get this over with. I have work to do." He decided that confidence would be his defense.

"Alright." Sweets decided to ask his questions quickly and not give the agent time to think too deeply. "Are you married?"

"No."

"Are you in a relationship with anyone?"

Annoyed Booth glared at the younger man. "What the hell does my private life have to do with my job?"

"Answer the questions, Agent Booth." Sweets wasn't about to let Booth control the session. "Are you in a relationship with anyone?"

To irritate Sweets, Booth decided to pause before answering each question. Sweets might control the questions, but he controlled the answers. "Yeah . . . sure."

"Do you like cats?"

"No . . . I like dogs though."

"If I recommend that you can't go in the field, what would be your response?"

Booth stared at Sweets and finally smiled. "Then I wouldn't go in the field and the FBI would lose the best investigative team they've ever had. No me, no Bones. The FBI solve rate for murders in this district will go in the shithouse and that's a fact."

"Dr. Brennan has a contract." Sweets hadn't expected that answer.

He knew he had surprised the young man and he enjoyed it. "Her contract says she will go in the field when she is available. She's been very careful to keep that clause in her contract. The Deputy Director tried to get it taken out, but Bones refused to sign if it wasn't in there." Booth admired how smart his mate was. "She is allowed to go on digs and participate in projects related to her field . . . If I'm sidelined or fired, she'll just go on a dig until her contract it up in two months."

The agent's smugness was very irritating. "You'd separate from Dr. Brennan for two months?"

"Her career is important to her and to me, so yeah I could deal with it." The possibility of this being put to the test was real, but Brennan had already made it clear to him she would only work with Booth. If the FBI screwed with him, then they would be punished in the only way that he and Brennan had left open to them. Brennan had helped the FBI win a lot of court cases including serial killer cases. He knew that without her and her team at the Jeffersonian the FBI would lose more cases than they were used to.

Sweets would pass this information on to the Deputy Director. It was a real threat and he knew Dr. Brennan well enough that she could not be persuaded to do anything she didn't want to do. "Do you think you're ready to go out in the field?"

"I'm not sure. I won't know until I try now will I?"

Surprised, Sweets smiled. "A very honest answer. Thank you." The psychiatrist sat silently and watched Booth. The agent didn't usually like to be stared at and silence had always bothered the man, but this time he just stared back. After a few moments of silence, Sweets nodded his head. "I'll clear you to go back into the field. You need to pass your gun recertification in the next three weeks. The Deputy Director wants to give you a chance to fully recover and allow you the time to practice and get your shooting skills back up to normal, well normal for you."

Relieved that the nonsense was over, Booth stood up. "I have work to do." Once he was at the door, he turned to look back at his friend. "I'm a good agent, a good investigator or at least I was. If I can't do the job, then I'll stick to desk duty. I won't jeopardize Bones' life, but you will lose her expertise if I can't go out in the field. That wasn't a threat, it's a fact."

"Yes, I know." Sweets watched the agent leave the room and felt that under the circumstances, everything had gone well. Booth was honest and Sweets had counted on his honesty when he answered the questions. He had taken everything Booth had said as the truth. He needed to pass on the conversation to the Deputy Director and prepare him if anything went wrong with Booth. He didn't think it would though. The agent may have had brain surgery and some of his brain removed, but he seemed to be the confident man he had always been. "So far so good."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	66. Chapter 66

(Harbingers in the Fountain)

Thank you for reviewing my story. It is the only way I can tell if you are still interested in my story.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

As a good Catholic with standing in the church, Booth wasn't one to believe in ghosts or goblins and psychics tended to make him scoff. The only psychics he had ever dealt with were charlatans who were out to fleece the gullible, but Avalon Harmonia was a real puzzle to him. He didn't trust her and when they had found bodies where she said they would be, she had shot to the top of his list of suspects. And yet, eventually the evidence pointed to someone else and he was left with the fact that she had known where her sister and others were buried because her cards had told her.

"Booth, there is no such things as psychic powers." Brennan was growing impatient with Booth's waffling on the issue. "No one can tell what the future will bring. It's utter nonsense."

They were on the way back to the Hoover. They had consulted with Caroline Julian who was going after Alexander Gallo on tax evasion, but unless they came up with a way to prove that Alexander Gallo and Tom Fargood were the same person, he might get away with murder. "Then how did Avalon know about the bodies? I'm pretty sure Fargood didn't tell her and neither did Dr. Leacock."

She didn't have an answer to that question, but there had to be a logical explanation. "I'm sure I don't know, but she did know and it had nothing to do reading cards or mystical powers."

He wasn't satisfied with the situation and really wanted to know what to do with Avalon. Clearly she hadn't murdered anyone, but there was more to the story if she didn't have real psychic powers. "Well, if she doesn't have psychic powers then she had to find out another way and I want to know what that way was."

Brennan wasn't satisfied either, but she refused to worry about it and she certainly wasn't going to believe that magic cards had told Avalon about the bodies. It was ridiculous. "We may never know if she refuses to tell us." And that was very irritating.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Due to sudden inspiration, Brennan and then Booth goaded Avalon Harmonia to attack Alexander Gallo as a grieving relative and she had scratched the con man's face collecting skin and blood under her sharp fingernails.

Smugly, Booth had presented that collected evidence to Caroline Julian once it was proved that Gallo and Fargood were one in the same. Caroline had been irritated with their methods, but she loved that Brennan and Booth had found a way to go after Gallo for murder and not just tax evasion. She was looking forward to prosecuting him.

Once Caroline was gone from his office, Booth winked at Brennan who had been in his office when Caroline arrived and then turned to Avalon who had come by to see the results of her attack on her sister's murderer. "Ms. Harmonia, how did you know about the bodies? Who told you?"

Amused that Booth refused to believe in her powers, Avalon chuckled. "Since you don't believe I have psychic powers then I don't have an answer to your question . . . You know, Agent Booth, you've been worrying since your surgery that you might have lost something. You didn't lose anything. You are still you. That hasn't changed."

Not sure whether to believe her or not, Booth snorted. "Your cards told you that?"

"Of course." Avalon was used to skepticism and it didn't really bother her all that much. "My cards have told me a lot of things . . . you will get what you want some day . . . not right away, but some day. All you have to be is patient and your greatest wish will come true."

His mind immediately went to thoughts about his dream world. "Really?" He glanced at Brennan who had a puzzled look on her face.

"Yes, really." Avalon left Booth's office knowing that he had taken in her words even if he publicly disbelieved. She knew that deep down, he was a spiritual man and he couldn't completely disbelieve her.

Once the psychic was gone, Brennan waited for Booth to close his computer down so they could leave. "What was she talking about? What's your greatest wish?"

Booth moved around his desk, logged off his computer and returned to Brennan's side. "I have no idea what she was talking about . . . Want to celebrate at the Founding Fathers? We can have a drink, maybe eat dinner. I don't feel like cooking tonight."

Suspicious that Booth wasn't being truthful with her, Brennan stared at her boyfriend, but he didn't react like she had hoped he would. "Alright . . . Do you have a wish that you would like fulfilled?"

"Yes, I would." Booth placed his arm around her shoulder and escorted her to the elevator. "I wish that the Phillies would find a descent pitcher for once."

Since Booth wasn't going to answer her questions, Brennan decided to let it go. There was no such thing as psychic powers and he definitely should know better.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The rental storage unit was hot, so Booth set up a fan in the doorway to blow air into the room and another fan to blow at the back of the unit where Brennan was sitting. Holding an auto repair book for 1968 Ford Mustangs in her lap, she flipped through the pages looking at the various categories that the book offered.

So far Booth hadn't asked for any help as he changed the oil and Brennan found that very encouraging. If he remembered how to change the oil then that meant he hadn't forgotten all he knew about automobiles.

Triumphant, Booth finished the job, picked up a clean rag from his rag box on the bench and wiped his hands clean. "I did it . . . I think." Moving around the car, he entered the driver's side, started the car and then checked to make sure no alarms appeared on the panel. Since it seemed to be okay, he got out of the car and leaned over the engine watching for leaks. Satisfied, he laid on the ground and moved under the car. Looking up, he didn't see anything bad happening and no oil was leaking on to the floor. Relieved, he crawled back out from under the car and stood up. He let the car run for a few minutes then turned it off and closed the hood on the car. "I think it's good."

"And you did it without the book." Brennan stood up, placed the book on the work bench and turned to face her boyfriend. "You did it Booth. Your memory isn't as bad as you thought it was. You changed the oil successfully, you investigated a crime and you helped resolve it successfully . . . I think you're back, Booth."

"I am back." Booth moved over to where she was standing and placed his arms around her to give her a hug. "It helped to have you in my corner."

Brennan placed her arms around Booth and leaned against him. She was so happy for him. He had been under so much pressure since his recovery had begun and there had been some days when it looked like he might give up out of sheer frustration, but in the end he had refused to do that and he persevered. With her help, he had found reasons to move on, to recover lost skills, to ignore the changes that meant nothing. "I will always be in your corner Booth." He still had a ways to go, but he was doing so well and he wasn't giving in to fear. That was all that mattered.

Releasing her, Booth looked at the mustang. "I'm really glad that I didn't give up on the car. You were right to tell me keep at it . . . I think it's going to be okay." After he threw his rag on the bench, he placed the empty oil bottles in a trash bag along with the used oil filter. He poured the used oil in a container and planned to take it to a recycling center. "I think I'm done for the day."

Brennan turned off the fan in the corner while Booth turned off the fan in the doorway and carried it to the back of the unit. Once the place was straightened up, they were ready to go. The door was closed and locked and Booth looked up at the gathering clouds. "I think it's going to storm. We should go home."

"I agree." Brennan moved over to her car, entered it and waited for Booth to enter the passenger side. Once he was inside and the door was closed, she started the car and drove down the lane to the street outside the gate. "Cam has invited us to a barbecue next weekend, weather permitting. It's Michelle's birthday."

"Well, then we have to go." Booth didn't really care for birthday parties that much, but Michelle was part of the family now and she deserved to have a nice party. "What do you think we should get her for her birthday?"

She thought about it for a few minutes then responded. "A gift certificate to her favorite store. I will ask Cam what that is. That way she can choose her own present."

"Good idea." And it was. Booth had no idea what interested teenage girls. "I'm glad Cam adopted Michelle. That girl was lost. No family left except for a cousin of her father's. Cam loves her and she's a great Mom."

Brennan hoped that she would have a child soon too. They were still waiting for Booth to fully recover from his surgery before they tried. She knew he was afraid that the surgery had changed him in other ways and that he might not be able to take care of a child, but she knew he was worrying about nothing. None of the changes she had seen made him less than he was before the surgery. He just needed to get his confidence back and changing the oil successfully in his car was a start. It also helped that he was now confident that he could do his job. Solving the murder of all those people by Alexander Gallo had been a big step forward.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

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	67. Chapter 67

(The Bond in the Boot)

Thank you for reviewing my story. Thank you.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Sweets was consulting with Booth on his latest case when a phone call interrupted them. A little alarmed, Sweets witnessed Booth turn pale while he listened to whoever was on the other end of the call.

Finally, Booth stood up and spoke. "I'm coming. I'll be there as soon as I can." Ending his call, he grabbed his jacket from the coat tree and moved towards the door.

His alarm growing, Sweets stood up and followed him through the doorway. "What's going on? Is Dr. Brennan okay?"

Once through the bullpen, Booth ignored the elevator and made his way to the stairwell. "My grandfather just had a heart attack." Racing into the stairwell, the agent hurried down the stairs to the parking garage.

Concerned for his friend's state of mind, Sweets raced down the stairs with Booth, followed him into the parking garage and raced around the Agent to his SUV. Before Booth could get into his truck, Sweets climbed into the passenger side and slammed the door shut.

In a hurry, Booth started his truck and growled at Sweets. "Get out. I'm going to Philadelphia."

Determined to remain where he was, Sweets buckled his seatbelt and crossed his arms against his chest. "I'm going with you. You need a friend with you."

He didn't want Sweets with him, but he didn't have time to argue. Booth backed out of his parking space, drove down the ramp and hurried out onto the street narrowly missing a garbage truck.

His heart beating rapidly with fear, Sweets removed his phone from his jacket and made a call. "Charlie, Booth is on the way to Philadelphia due to a family emergency. I'm with him. Please let Assistant Deputy Director Calvin Triche know. Thank you."

Since they were heading in the opposite direction from the Jeffersonian, Sweets touched Booth's arm. "Aren't you going to get Dr. Brennan so she can go with us?"

Moving around a car moving too slowly, Booth shook his head. "Bones has an important meeting with the board of directors about some Egyptian mummy that they're trying to get for an exhibit. This meeting is really important to her. She's helping them with the proposal. I'll call her when I get to Philly."

Slowly shaking his head, Sweets sent a text message to Brennan. **Booth's grandfather had a heart attack. He's on the way to Philly. I'm with him.**

He waited and received a response from Brennan. **Why didn't he call me? I can go with him.**

Careful to make sure his answer was truthful but neutral, Sweets replied. **He said you have a meeting with the board. He said it's important.** **He didn't want to disturb you.**

Her reply was almost instant. **Disturb me? Find out what hospital Hank is in.**

Sweets cleared his throat. "What hospital is your grandfather in?" He had to ask twice before Booth answered.

"Methodist Hospital." Booth ran a yellow light that turned red as he raced through the intersection and a couple of horns blasted away from irritated drivers. "He's at Methodist Hospital . . . One of his friends was visiting Pops and she noticed he was having trouble breathing. She called an ambulance . . . I have his medical proxy, so they called me."

As Booth ran another yellow light, Sweets thought he'd better get Booth to calm down and use more caution before he killed them both. "You know you're going to end up being pulled over by a cop if you keep driving like this and that will just delay you more than if you drove correctly."

His jaw clenched, Booth slowed the truck down and continued at a more measured pace.

Glad that Booth was being more careful, he texted Brennan. **Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia**. **Are you coming?**

 **Of course.** Brennan placed the phone down on the table and turned her attention to the Chairman of the Board, Jeffrey Foor who was staring at her. "My partner's grandfather has had a heart attack. He raised Booth and Booth considers Hank to be his parent. I must go. He's in Philadelphia. I will return when I can."

Foor knew that Brennan wouldn't disrupt their meeting if it was unavoidable and it was his firm belief that family came first. "Of course, Dr. Brennan. We'll reschedule this meeting when you come back." He watched Brennan pick up her phone, stand and leave the room.

Vice-Chairman Hines shook her head. "She could have finished the meeting before she left. We were almost done."

Annoyed, Harry LaBorde shook his head. "And if it was your grandfather or father? Would you feel the same way?"

Embarrassed, Cindy Hines felt her cheeks burn. "Since the meeting is now over, I have work to do." Leaving the room, she overheard Harry speak to Foor. "Let me know when Temperance gets back. I hope her boyfriend's grandfather makes it."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

She found Booth in the surgical waiting room. "Booth, how is Hank?"

Surprised to see her, Booth stood up and engulfed her in his arms. "He's in surgery. They're putting in a stent . . . He was so lucky that Mrs. Harmon was visiting when he had the attack. She saved his life."

Her arms circled her boyfriend's chest and she kissed him. "You should have brought me with you, Booth. No meeting is more important that you or Hank. As soon as Sweets let me know what was going on, I left the meeting."

"I'm sorry." Booth realized that he should have given her the option, but at the time, he really hadn't been thinking things through. He was just in a hurry to get to his grandfather. "I just know that your meeting has been scheduled for weeks and you told me it was really important that you get the ball rolling soon so you can get that mummy."

"None the less, you should have called me." Brennan stared into Booth's worried face. "Tell me what the doctor said."

Booth pointed at two chairs behind him and they sat down. "Dr. Rentz said that Pops has some blockage. He wanted my permission to operate. Pops wasn't sure he wanted it done, so I talked to him and he finally agreed to let them do it . . . He was so weak and his color . . . he just looked bad. Dr. Rentz said he's not getting proper oxygen to his heart . . . Sweets agreed with the doctor and he said that Pops needed the surgery right away."

It wasn't a very satisfying explanation, but she knew that Booth had told her all he had understood. Medicine wasn't really Booth's field of expertise, but he was smart and she knew he would have made sure it was the right thing to do before he allowed the operation to happen. She was glad that Sweets had been there to give his opinion. "It sounds like you made the right decision." Brennan glanced around the room and didn't see the young psychologist. "Where is Sweets?"

Closing his eyes, Booth leaned his head against the wall behind him. "He went to get coffee."

Satisfied for the moment, Brennan hooked her arm around Booth's arm and leaned against him. "The next time you have an emergency, you must let me know right away. Don't assume that what I am doing is more important than you are. That will never be the case."

Embarrassed, Booth opened his eyes and turned to look at his partner. "I should have called you and I will the next time . . . We're family and . . . well, I'm sorry. I just know you've been working real hard on that mummy thing."

"As long as you don't forget me the next time you are forgiven." Brennan knew that Booth would think to call her the next time he had an emergency. He kept his promises. "I will make sure you are notified if there is a family emergency that I need to take care of."

Booth nodded his head. "God I'm so worried . . . Besides you and Parker, Pops is all I have . . . I need him to be okay."

Brennan noticed that he didn't mention Jared, but that didn't surprise her. She hoped Hank would be alright. He was the father that Booth had needed when he was a child and even though Hank had been on the verge of retirement, he had taken in his grandchildren to save them from their abusive father and to keep them out of Foster Care. Hank was a good man and he was the reason that Booth was a good man. Brennan admired Hank a lot and wished that she had been blessed with a grandfather like Booth's grandfather. She didn't believe in prayer or God, but she hoped that the old man recovered. He was a delightful person to be around and her boyfriend loved him so much.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Booth was in the room when Hank woke up. The old man felt weak, but he smiled at his grandson. "Don't worry so much." His mouth was dry and felt like cotton. "Water please."

Grabbing the cup near the bed, Booth filled it with ice chips and unwrapped the spoon sitting on the table. "Pops, here's some ice chips. Open your mouth. It will help."

He knew the drill from when his wife and been in the hospital. Hank opened his mouth and accepted the chips. As he started to feel more awake he noticed Brennan and Sweets in the room with him. "Temperance, nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you awake, Hank." Brennan moved closer to the bed, leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I talked to your physician and he feels you will make a complete recovery."

Glad to hear that, Hank smiled at her. "Good. Someone has to stick around and keep my boy in line."

Booth chuckled. "That's true Pops. I can't do it without you. You have to stick around and make sure I don't screw up too much."

"That's right." Suddenly sober, Hank shook his head. "You were never a screw up Seeley. You're a good man and I'm proud of you. Don't ever forget that. I love you."

His throat tight with emotion, Booth cleared it and nodded his head. "I love you too, Pops. I always have. I always will."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	68. Chapter 68

(The Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

"Are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself?" Booth was very nervous leaving his grandfather alone in the apartment, but he and Brennan had a case. "I'll just be a phone call away if you need me."

Annoyed that his grandson was treating him like an invalid, Hank waved his hand towards the door. "Will you go already? I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for years." He saw his grandson still hesitating and he was losing what little patience he had left. "I'm going to lay on this bed in this room and watch television when I'm not going to the bathroom every fifteen minutes, damn diuretic."

Starting to lose patience herself, Brennan tugged on Booth's arm. "Booth, the doctor said that Hank could be alone since he's recovering quite well and we do have a home care nurse coming at eight. He's only going to be by himself for one hour. We need to get to the crime scene before someone contaminates it."

Reluctantly, Booth turned and walked to the doorway only to pause and glance back. "Pops, if you need anything call me."

Glad to see him leaving, Hank waved his hand. "Yeah yeah." Once his grandson and Brennan were gone, he picked up the remote and turned on the television, found a rerun of MASH only to drop the remote on the bed and get out of bed. "Damn it, I hate taking a diuretic. Piss all day, piss all night."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

"Bones, I think we need to look for a house now." Booth had wanted to wait until he was one hundred percent better, but that looked impossible now. "I know we said we were going to wait, but . . . Pops can't live by himself anymore . . . I . . . uh . . . Would it be okay if we bought a house and Pops lived with us?" He held his breath and hoped Brennan would think it was okay. There weren't a lot of options available for his grandfather. He certainly couldn't live with Jared. The man wasn't reliable at all.

She had already come to the conclusion that Hank would need to live in a situation where he could be monitored. "I think that would be fine, Booth. I just think that might not be the best solution to your grandfather's situation."

Puzzled, Booth glanced at Brennan and then back at the road. The day was a bright sunny day and they had to drive out to the suburbs for their current case. "What do you mean?"

Brennan liked Hank and wouldn't have minded if he lived with them, but she felt that Booth needed to be practical. "We work long hours. Somedays we're barely home for nine hours. In the past, we've had situations where we've had to leave town for several days. Hank wouldn't get the proper care he needs . . . I think he would be better in an assisted living home. He would have someone monitoring his health. They would make sure he ate three nutritious meals a day. He would have people his own age to interact with. Living with us . . . essentially he would be living by himself. He'd be isolated. Don't you see?"

He understood what she was saying, but it just seemed wrong. "Yeah, but I should be able to take care of him . . . he took care of me when I needed it . . . it just seems like I'd betraying him when he needs me the most."

"You aren't betraying anyone Booth." Brennan hated it when Booth seemed to take the weight of the world on his shoulders. She knew that burden could be crushing. She had seen the sleepless nights he had when she was sick, the way his brother used him and thought nothing of it. "If you wish for Hank to live with us, then we can try. It will be awhile before we can buy a house since we need to start our search and make sure we buy what is best for us. In the meantime, Hank can live with us in our apartment and see how he manages with our work schedule. We'll have someone come in a few hours each day to prepare his lunch and make sure he is taking his medication properly."

Her plan seemed reasonable and he was thankful that she was so open to letting his grandfather live with them. "Sounds like a good plan. We can start looking at listings for houses today and see what's out there and Pops can get used to living with us. Maybe he'll do okay with us, but if he doesn't then I can talk to him about a retirement home . . . Thanks Bones. I know you didn't count on taking care of Pops when you let me move in with you."

"You're welcome, Booth. Hank is part of our family." And she meant that. Booth was her family and that meant that his grandfather was her grandfather too. She had never had a grandparent in her life and she actually liked the experience. It was pleasant. "The only family I had as a child were my parents and Russ. My father claims there were no other family members, but who knows. Max lied about so much when I was growing up. I can't really trust what he says."

"Well, Pops is your grandfather now, so you have a grandparent after all." Booth turned off the road and entered into a cookie cutter subdivision. "We made good time. Hopefully no one screwed around with the body."

Brennan searched ahead for the crime scene, eager to begin work. "The techs had better have followed proper procedure."

That sounded menacing to Booth, so he hoped his techs hadn't messed up. He had seen his girlfriend make techs cry before and that was not a pretty sight.

Ooooooooooooooooo

Hank found it rather boring to be living with his grandson and his girlfriend. He was alone most of the time and he missed his friends from his neighborhood. He had hoped that he might be able to go back home, but he was starting to believe that wasn't going to happen. His health wasn't the best and he was a little afraid to live alone now that he had had a heart attack. Marge had saved his life, but it had been luck that she had been there when he had needed someone to help him.

While he loved his grandson and Temperance, they were workaholics and he only saw them in the morning before they rushed off to work or late at night. He wasn't sure how they kept up that grueling pace and it worried him that his boy was still recovering from brain surgery. He had tried to make dinner for them when he had felt like he was stronger, but they had come home so late, he had stored everything in the fridge, cleaned the kitchen the best he could and went to bed. After that, he just made a sandwich in the evening and watched television until he was too tired to stay up and went to bed.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

For once, Booth made it home around six and hurried into the apartment. Brennan was still working, but she would be home in an hour or so. After he changed clothes, he left his bedroom and found his grandfather sitting in the dining room as he passed by on the way to the kitchen. "Hey Pops, we're going to have Cacio e Pepe. Bones loves it."

"Okay." He had given his grandson his wife's handwritten cookbook when he had asked for a copy. Hank loved to cook, but he kept it simple since he lived on his own and he knew his boy loved his grandmother's recipes. "Sounds good."

Before he entered the kitchen, Booth walked over to the dining room table to see what his grandfather was working on. "Whatcha doing?"

"I'm writing down all of my assets. I'm thinking of moving into a retirement home and I need to start thinking about selling my house and my car." Hank loved his grandson, but he really thought he would be better off in a retirement home. "If I sell my stuff and I add my retirement from the force and my social security, I should be able to afford a nice one. Not a fancy one, but maybe one where I have my own room and I can have some of my own stuff with me."

A little stunned, Booth sat down. "Bones and I thought you might like to live with us. We're looking for a house and we're going to make sure it has a handicap bathroom and we'll have enough bedrooms so you can have one."

Hank patted his grandson's hand. "I appreciate that Shrimp, but you people are hardly ever home and it's kind of boring by myself. That young lady that comes by is nice, but she thinks the Vietnam War was ancient history. She's just not a good conversationalist and television isn't all that great anymore . . . If I were in a retirement home, I'd be with people my age who know what it was like to live through World War II and Korea and who knows who Jack Paar and Johnny Carson were." He saw that his grandson was upset, but he needed to move on with his life and he didn't want to be an unnecessary burden. "I know you want me to be around, Son, but it would just be better for me and for you if I moved out as soon as I can . . . Okay?"

"Alright." Booth was disappointed, but if his grandfather hated living with him, then he wouldn't stand in his way. "I'm going to go make dinner."

"Seeley." Hank stood up and leaned on the table. "I really appreciate what you and Temperance hve been doing for me, letting me live here and all, but it's for the best. I love you, but you have your life to live and I have mine. You can visit me whenever you want to and I can come visit you when you have time for me. This will be good for both of us . . . Okay?"

Booth nodded his head and smiled a rather sad smile. "Sure I get it." As he walked into the kitchen, Booth heard his grandfather move his chair and he looked back as the man sat back down and continued to write.

He knew he was doing the right thing and Hank was sure that his grandson would see it was for the better once he was in a retirement home. He appreciated that his boy was in a great relationship with a wonderful woman who loved him and looked after him. It was what he had always wanted for his grandson and he knew that if he stayed she might grow to resent his presence. It was not his intention to make her regret becoming involved with her boyfriend. He considered Temperance like a granddaughter and he hoped that someday that she would make him a great-grandfather. She was kind and compassionate, but she also worked too hard along with his grandson and they needed to be able to come home and have alone time. He would just be in the way. He was sure he was making the right decision for everyone.

Ooooooooooooooooo

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	69. Chapter 69

(A Night at the Bones Museum)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Flipping a pancake onto a plate, Booth noticed Brennan enter the kitchen, walk over to the fridge and open it. "Breakfast is ready."

"Oh good." After removing a carafe of juice from the top shelf, she grabbed two glasses from the cabinet and set them on the kitchen table. While Booth carried a plate of pancakes and a plate of bacon over to the table, she pulled two plates from the cabinet and set them on the table along with two forks and knives. Booth had already set a bowl of mixed berries on the table along with a tub of butter and a bottle of maple syrup. "For some reason, I'm quite famished this morning."

"Might have been the busy night we had last night." After he sat down, he flipped two pancakes on to Brennan's plate and three on his. "It was your fault though. You wouldn't let me sleep until around three this morning . . . not that I minded."

Amused, Brennan poured juice in the glasses and placed one in front of Booth's plate then sat down. "I'm excited about the Egyptian mummy arriving at the museum this morning. I didn't think you would mind helping me pass the time last night since I couldn't sleep."

Booth yawned and shook his head. "I didn't mind, but I think I'm going to need a lot of coffee today . . . a few Cokes, maybe a Mountain Dew or two."

"That's a lot of caffeine." Brennan was concerned he might overdue the stimulants.

Sipping some of his juice, Booth nodded his head. "That's the idea. I've already had two cups of coffee since I woke up this morning." The plate of bacon beckoned and Booth grabbed four pieces and placed it on his plate. "When is the mummy arriving today?"

"It's supposed to be at the loading dock at ten." Brennan cut up her pancakes and drizzled some of the syrup over them. "Dr. Kaswell has asked me to help in the initial examination. It's quite exciting."

He watched her drizzle more syrup on her pancakes and knew that she had forgot she had already done that. It was cute how excited she was and Booth just thought her adorable. Reaching for the syrup, he poured some on his bacon and pancakes and then placed the syrup bottle near his elbow to keep his girlfriend from pouring more syrup on her pancakes. "Sounds great. I guess you can't go to lunch with me today?"

"No, I can't." Brennan reached for the syrup bottle and Booth shook his head.

"Bones, you've already poured syrup on your pancakes twice."

Shocked, Brennan looked at the pancakes on her plate and shook her head. "I don't remember doing that."

"You're just excited that's all." Booth pointed his fork at her plate. "Come on eat. You'll probably forget to eat lunch, so eat up."

Trying to calm down, Brennan began to eat, glad that Booth was so considerate. "I will order lunch to be delivered, so don't worry about me eating. I can take care of myself."

"Yes, you can." Standing he walked over to the counter, poured two cups of coffee, placed them on the kitchen table and sat down. "How much research can you and Dr. Kaswell do on the mummy?"

"We can do a Cat Scan on it, but it can't be damaged in any way. The Egyptian government was quite clear that the mummy cannot be cut open." Brennan sipped some of her coffee and smiled. "I'm going to help in the initial examination, but that's all. I'll be more of an observer really, but it is still exciting since the mummy is purported to be Anok, 'The Boy With the Bleeding Heart'."

That sounded pretty gross to Booth. "I have a lot of paper work to do today. If you're going to be late let me know and I'll cook dinner."

"Thank you." Brennan swallowed more of her coffee. "Before I forget, I think I found a house for us. I sent you an email with the particulars. If you have time, could you call the realtor today and go look at it. If you think it is suitable, I will arrange to go look at it in the next few days."

"Alright." Booth was interested in seeing what kind of house Brennan found suitable. He knew he'd have to keep an open mind since her taste and his taste weren't exactly alike.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

He pulled up in the driveway and turned off the engine. "Oh my God." Slowly getting out of the car, Booth noted the large front yard that contained several mature oak trees and the five foot tall hedge that bordered the front yard. The house was one story and didn't look that big from the front, but as he walked up the driveway, walked along the side of the house and into the back yard he could see that it was indeed a large house. The back yard had a paved patio and a built-in barbeque all done in beige and brown stone. The yard itself was spacious and several tall oak and pecan trees were spaced out around the yard. The backyard had a tall dark wooden fence with beige stone columns circling it and there was a small hedge running along the fence around the yard. "Damn."

Not sure if he wanted to see the inside of the house or not, he walked back around the house and up to the front door where the realtor was waiting for him. "I saw you pull up. What do you think of the back yard?"

"It's big." Booth was at a loss for words at that moment.

"It really is." The realtor, Susan Clayton was excited about the possibility of selling the house. She thought it had a lot of good features and the owner was asking for a reasonable price, but the market was not a 'sellers market' at the moment. "Come inside and I'll show you around."

Reluctantly, Booth walked in and found himself in a small foyer. There was a bench on the right side that could be used to store shoes or whatever you wanted to store there. The floor was a gray stone tile that extended into the front room. Leaving the foyer, Booth found a large living room spread out before him. The floor was tiled and there was a fire place located on the front wall also made of matching stone. It should have seemed like a cold color, but there were hints of dark gray and black flecks in the gray stone that gave it an interesting look.

As the realtor led him through the house, he found a spacious kitchen with a granite tile covered island. The cabinets were a dark chestnut color and the appliances were a brushed steel color. There was a nice pantry in one wall and a door on the left side of the room led to a laundry room which was functional and contained a wall of cabinets for storage. The house contained four bedrooms, a den, two and half baths and a detached garage. _Wow._ He had taken pictures of every room using his phone to show his partner, but he was sure she would like it. He just wasn't sure he did.

Her client had been quiet throughout the tour which puzzled Susan. She couldn't tell if he was interested in the house or not. His poker face was excellent which annoyed her. The tour over, they were now back at the front door. "What do you think? Would you like to sign today?"

Booth jammed his hands into his pants pockets and shook his head. "My girlfriend asked me to look the place over. She's the one that wants to buy it. I'll tell her what I saw and if she's interested then she'll get back to you."

"It might sell quickly." Susan wanted to impress her possible client that the house wouldn't be available for long, at least she hoped not.

Not really impressed with that threat, Booth shrugged his shoulders. "If you can sell it to someone else then sell it. Dr. Brennan doesn't let anyone push her into anything. She's logical and methodical. If she likes what she sees in the pictures she'll call you and make arrangement to come and look at it . . . The 'hard sell' would be wasted on her, just so you know that."

"Alright." Susan hoped that Dr. Brennan liked the house. It was a beautiful house, but expensive and a lot of people weren't interested in expensive houses for now. She handed the man her business card. "If she doesn't like this house then call me and let me know what you're looking for and I'll try to find it for you."

Taking the card, Booth placed it in his wallet and then placed the wallet back in his pants pocket. "Thanks for the tour. I appreciate it. If Dr. Brennan is interested she'll probably call you tomorrow."

Before he left, Booth walked back up the driveway and entered the detached garage for one more look. The house may be a little much, but he really liked the garage. It was spacious enough that they could park Brennan's car inside and his Mustang. He could stop renting a storage space for his car and there was enough room to tinker in. _This is nice._ Careful to close the door behind him, Booth walked back to his SUV and waved at the realtor who was standing in the yard.

Susan had seen Booth walk back to the garage and she hoped that was a good sign. She thought the house was a great house and if the man liked the garage then maybe he could talk his girlfriend into buying the house. _Fingers crossed._

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	70. Chapter 70

(A Night in the Bones Museum)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

She flipped through the pictures on Booth's phone and studied each room. This house seemed to be what she and Booth were looking for and she thought it might be an excellent idea to arrange an appointment with the realtor to see it.

Carrying two glasses of wine over to the couch, Booth handed Brennan one of the glasses before he sat down next to her. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think it might be what we are looking for." Brennan handed him his phone and sipped some of her wine. "What did you think of it?"

Before he answered, Booth thought about his promise to let her buy the house. If she was paying for it, did he have a right to complain about it? "It's big." That sounded neutral enough.

"Yes, it is." Brennan had liked the spaciousness of the living room and the master bedroom. "I like that the bedroom at the end of the hallway has a handicapped bathroom attached. It would be perfect when Hank comes for a visit and for you if in the future you need it. If your bones continue to deteriorate it is possible that you will need the built in walk-in bath."

Alarmed that she thought he was falling apart, Booth protested. "Hey, I am not deteriorating okay? I've had some broken bones in the past, but that doesn't mean I'm falling apart."

She could have mentioned his weak back and his feet, but decided she didn't want to start an argument. "I am merely stating that the walk-in bath might come in handy in the future . . . I think I'll make some arrangements to see it . . . unless you have objections to my buying the house. Do you?"

What could he say? The house was too expensive as far as he was concerned, but he wasn't paying for it. She wanted it, but did he have a right to keep her from getting what she wanted? "No, I don't have any objections." He would have preferred a smaller house, a cheaper one, but he really wanted to make her happy.

His hesitation before answering hadn't gone unnoticed, but Brennan assumed that her boyfriend was being careful and mulling over the situation. She didn't mull, but she knew he did. "Alright. The den in the basement could be your man cave. You could display your Sports things as well as some of your collectables. The master bedroom would be ours of course . . . the bedroom at the end of the hall would be used as a guest bedroom. The room across from ours could be used for Parker's room and the room next to us and across from the guest bedroom would be a spare . . . I think I can use part of the living room as an office area . . . a room divider could be used to designate my office space from the rest of the living room."

Booth was impressed that she had already come up with ideas about the house. "Okay, if you want me to go with you to see the house let me know." He sipped more wine and resolved to accept what was going on. He wanted his girlfriend to be happy and it this house made her happy then so be it. "How was the mummy? Was it all you hoped it would be?"

Her face glowed with excitement. "I am so glad that I was allowed to participate in the initial examination. We swabbed the bindings on the mummy in several places and the sarcophagus. Hodgins was very excited . . . The Cat scan is scheduled to be done in a few days. I won't be part of that . . . I think it will be The Jeffersonian's most popular display this year. The Egyptian government sent not only Anok's body and sarcophagus, but several stela and some statues. It is a wonderful collection."

He loved how excited she was even after seeing the artifacts for hours that day. "Well, I think we should go to bed early tonight . . . I mean to sleep. Last night was fun, but I'm tired. Four hours sleep isn't a lot and I'm not eighteen anymore."

Brennan felt guilty for keeping Booth up so late the previous evening, but she had enjoyed the sex and it had helped her relax. "Yes, of course." She finished her wine and took Booth's empty wine glass from him. "I'm a little tired myself." She was pleased that the house they were searching for might be theirs in a matter of days. All in all, she was quite happy with the way things were going in her life.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

She found some time to meet with Susan Clayton to look over the house. Booth was in a meeting with the Deputy Director, so she decided to examine the house by herself. She had approved of the front yard and the copious amounts of shade from the mature oak trees. The back yard was also shaded by oak trees and pecan trees which would help in the summer. Washington D.C. could be very hot in the summer and autumn and the shade would help cool the yards and the house. She knew that deep shade could lower the temperatures as much as ten degrees.

The house was as spacious as the pictures had hinted at. Once she saw the basement, she thought the room could be divided into Booth's media room and perhaps a game room or another guest bedroom. Surely Booth wouldn't need the entire basement and she wanted the space to be used wisely.

The bedrooms were pleasing and the guest bedroom at the end of the hall was exactly what she had hoped for, for Hank when he visited. The small attached bathroom had a walk-in bath and there were hand rails near the tub and the toilet. The floor was tile and there was a drain in the floor between the tub and the toilet near the back wall.

She liked to cook and the kitchen was spacious and had adequate storage for appliances and other kitchen accoutrements. The major appliances were new and the pantry was the size of a walk-in closet.

The tour over, Brennan walked with the realtor to the front door. "I think this will do. I will make arrangements with my bank in the next few days to purchase this house. I will be paying cash of course."

"Of course." Susan was excited. She had hoped that the house would sell quickly and she was so happy that Dr. Brennan was willing to pay the asking price. "Your boyfriend loved the garage. He looked at it twice when he was here."

That was interesting news. Brennan imagined that Booth would want to use it as a workshop to tinker with his Mustang. There was more than enough room for her car too. "It is nice and the work bench and shelving in the back of the garage will be adequate when it comes time to store his tools and manuals." She had been uncertain about Booth's reaction to the house, but now that she knew he liked the garage she was more confident in purchasing the house. "Do you require a deposit?"

Susan nodded her head. She had rules her agency insisted she follow. "Yes." Before she could say anything further, Brennan pulled a checkbook from her purse, filled out a check and handed it to the realtor.

Her eyes bulging, Susan was a little breathless at the amount of the deposit especially since it was a tenth of the purchasing price. "Thank you, Dr. Brennan. I'll start the paper work when I get back to the office and I will wait to hear from your bank. Congratulations. It's a wonderful house and you will find it is in a great neighborhood."

Pleased that she and Booth were now homeowners, she knew that they could plan for a child, possibly in the near future. She could always use the bedroom next to the master bedroom as the baby's room. That had been why she had wanted a four bedroom house in the first place.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

They were working on the case of the murder of Dr. Kaswell and Brennan was very annoyed that the mummy Anok had been so heavily damaged when stolen. They had been very lucky to get it back. Even though she had nothing to do with the damage, she felt that her reputation was on the line since she worked for the Jeffersonian. Her name had been attached to the mummy from the beginning and now she felt that her reputation was being stained through no fault of her own.

While she was attempting to help Booth find out who had killed Dr. Kaswell, she also became interested in Anok's history. There seemed to be some incongruities between the legend of his possibly being the murderer of his brother and the physical evidence that said otherwise. It was a fascinating conundrum and she was just the one to solve it.

The fact that the investigation led to Dr. Turnball was appalling to Brennan. The man had killed Dr. Kaswell because she had discovered a large ruby in Anok's chest and she had shared that information with Turnball. Once more someone at the Jeffersonian had betrayed Brennan's beloved house of science and reason and she found it hard to forgive.

While it had been disheartening to find that a man of science had once more killed for money, she had found it very satisfying that she and her team had discovered that Anok had not been a murderer after all. The Egyptian government had been so grateful that she had exonerated Anok that they had awarded her a medal and they had given her a party in her honor.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The party had been an elaborate affair and for most of the time, Brennan had been uncomfortable. She loved to teach and large classes filled with students filled her with pride, but having to deal with fawning crowds of government dignitaries and Jeffersonian board members were not something she sought out. She knew she was the best anthropologist in the world and she didn't need government entities to tell her that. Still, it was an honor and her due she supposed.

Booth sat at their table watching Brennan give her speech. He was so proud of her he thought he just might pop the buttons off his shirt. He loved how smart she was and to think she had solved a three thousand year old murder just amazed him. He didn't think he would ever meet anyone as smart as Brennan was ever again. She was unique and she was his.

Once she was seated at their table, Brennan smiled at her friends, then moved her chair closer to Booth's chair and placed her hand on his thigh. "The speeches are over, Booth. I'd like to go home, if you don't mind."

Standing, Booth held out his hand and accepted her hand when she held it out to him. "Let's go Bones. I'm starving. Maybe we can stop by Mama's and pick up a pizza on the way home."

As she rose from her chair, Brennan shook her head and complained. "You just ate an hour ago. How can you be hungry?"

"That plate of hors d'oeuvres wouldn't have fed a baby, Bones." His stomach rumbled as they walked away from the table, ignoring the amused looks from their friends who had been sitting at the table with them. "Hear that? A hummingbird would starve if it had to just eat that fancy grub." He had been annoyed when the dinner he had expected turned into a small plate of tiny snacks. "You said we were going to get dinner. Ha!"

Leaving the room, those closest to the door heard Brennan's respond then Booth's response. "Hummingbirds eat nectar and I didn't promise you dinner. I said there was going to be food."

"What food?" Booth wasn't letting her off on her promise. "I didn't see any food."

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	71. Chapter 71

(The Dwarf in the Dirt)

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I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

As he entered Sweets' office, he realized that the young psychologist wasn't alone. "Sweets . . . oh, um, Dr. Wyatt . . . I'll come back."

"Agent Booth, please come in. I was just paying a social call." Gordon Wyatt waved Booth further into the room and pointed towards the couch. "I can leave if you wish me to."

Not sure how he wanted to handle the situation, Booth sat down and tried to appear relaxed. "I don't have anything to hide." Running his hand down his tie, Booth decided it didn't matter if Wyatt was there or not. "I just wanted Sweets to know that I'm going to recertify tomorrow. I've been practicing at the gun range and everything is fine."

"That's great Agent Booth." Sweets sat down on the chair across from the couch while Wyatt sat down on the chair next to the desk along the back wall. "It's your last obstacle. I'm sure the Deputy Director will be happy to hear it."

Booth nodded his head, glanced at Wyatt then back at Sweets. "And I'm a home owner now . . . Bones bought a house for us. It's big . . . yeah, you should come over when we've moved in and see it . . . it's big."

Wyatt was curious about Booth's repetition about the size of the house. "Is that a problem?"

"A problem? I don't know what you mean." Wary that Wyatt might try to make something of the house, Booth leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms against his chest.

Turning the chair so it fully faced the agent, Wyatt leaned forward. "You said the house is big, twice. Are you bragging or complaining?"

The last thing Booth wanted was for Wyatt or Sweets to make a big deal about what he had said. "It's just a fact. It's big. I'm going to have to buy a riding mower to take care of the yard, but besides that I don't have a problem with it. Bones liked the house because it's in a nice neighborhood. It's got a couple of good schools in the area, a hospital about five miles from the house, a fire station four miles away . . . she made sure of those things when she was looking. She's like that."

Sweets had known that Booth had wanted to pay for part of the house, but he had given up on that idea. Ever since he had had his brain tumor, he seemed to be considering the future more than he ever had before. It was a surprising change since the agent was one of those people that tried to live in the present and didn't think too far into the future. "So you still don't have any problems letting her buy the house?"

"Why would I?" Booth had vowed to himself not to get in the way of Brennan's happiness and if she wanted a big house then she deserved a big house. "I may not be around a long time and we need to make sure everything is set up, so that she'll be all set when I'm gone."

Alarmed with Booth's statement, Sweets leaned forward, a look of concern on his face. "Are you ill, Agent Booth? Is your brain tumor back?" He felt his heart beat faster. He considered Booth a friend and the thought of the agent dying soon was upsetting.

"No, I'm fine." Surprised that Sweets was overreacting, Booth uncrossed his arms and pulled his poker chip from his pants pocket. "But I did have a brain tumor and there's no guarantee that it won't come back some day. I need to make sure that Bones is going to be okay. The house will be a good investment and it will get her into a place of her own. It has extra rooms and she could always get her father to move in with her if she wanted him to."

Relieved, Sweets cleared his throat. "There's a chance that it will never come back, Booth. The surgery was a success. I don't think you really should worry about it. You'll probably live a long life."

"I understand your concern about your future health, Agent Booth, but I don't think you should live your life as if you have a target on your back." Wyatt thought Booth was being too fatalistic. "You have a chance for a long and happy life. Please don't let the fear of the possibility of the brain tumor coming back affect your present circumstances. If you fear what might happen, you may not live the life you should."

Annoyed, Booth shook his head. "I'm not afraid of what might happen to me in the future. I'm just being a realist. I saw my surgeon last week and he told me that I'm going to have to have a brain scan every year for at least a few years to make sure it doesn't come back. Okay? . . . That tells me it could come back. Not everyone gets a happily ever after, but I'm going to try to live a happy life with Bones because I know it could end in a moment. That doesn't make me a fatalist. Bones wanted to buy a house because if we waited for me to save up money we'd never get out of that apartment. Neither of us have lived in a house since we were kids. We both want a house with a yard, a nice big yard. We want kids someday and raising a kid in an apartment would suck. I'm happy that Bones bought the house. Don't go all shrink on me, okay? Everything's fine."

Wyatt still felt that Booth was worrying too much about what might happen in the future. "So you and Dr. Brennan are going to try to have children?"

"Someday, yeah." Booth smiled. "She wants a baby and I don't see why she can't have one. I'd like a little Bones running around the house."

At least Booth was willing to think about a happy future. "I'd like to help you move your things when it comes time for you to move from your apartment. If that's okay."

"Sure, why not?" Booth was glad for the offer. "Bones and I have a lot of stuff to move, thanks."

"You're welcome." Sweets wanted to be a help to Booth after all that's what friends were for. "Just let me know when you'll need me."

Done talking, Booth stood up. "I have work to do. I'll let you know how the certification works out when I'm done, but it should be a piece of cake."

Once the agent was gone, Sweet stood up and walked over to where Wyatt was sitting. "He's handled his recovery pretty well, but I think that's because of Dr. Brennan. She's been a great support to him. You wouldn't think those two would get along, but they're really loyal to each other and in love." Sweets smiled. "I think they've both benefited from knowing each other. They're the most interesting couple I've ever met."

"They are indeed." Wyatt smiled at the younger man. "They're really fascinating."

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They began to box up their possessions when they had time. Brennan had given her landlord a month's notice. She thought they would be out of the apartment before then, but with their work schedule, she wanted to allow enough time to pack up everything and move it to their new house. They would also have to move the Mustang to the new house and move all of Booth's possessions he had in the storage unit with his car. They were going to be very busy for the next month or two, moving everything they owned to the new house and then unpacking.

Packing up Brennan's antiquities, Booth was careful to use a lot of bubble wrap. "Bones, I'm going to build some shelves in the living room for these doodads. I think the shelves could go on either side of the fireplace unless you want them in the area where you want your office to be."

"I think they would be nice around the fireplace." Brennan paused in wrapping an ancient statue. "I don't think I realized just how many things I owned until we started packing them up. At least you will be able to have your things with you when we move into the house. You may need to build shelves in the basement to hold your collectibles . . . I was thinking we could use part of the basement for a guest bedroom or an office space. It wouldn't have to be big."

"So you don't want your office in the living room?" Booth placed a fertility statue in the box he was packing.

Brennan pulled some bubble wrap from a roll and began to cover a small earthen bowl. "I think so. We could build a wall to separate it from the man cave . . . with sound proofing."

Booth turned and looked at Brennan. "Good idea, I can be noisy when I watch a game . . . You know, maybe we could turn that spare bedroom next to the master bedroom into an office and make a guest bedroom in the basement next to the man cave. It would be quieter if you weren't sitting a few feet from my television."

"Excellent idea, Booth." He had a point. Booth tended to shout when his teams did something wrong during a game. "I think we should do that."

They were thinking ahead and Booth liked that. He wanted the house to be perfect for Brennan. "Plus if your Dad visits we won't have to be quiet when we make love if he's in the basement."

Amused, Brennan laughed. "We do get a little noisy sometimes."

"Yeah, but that's okay." Booth smiled. He loved it when Brennan screamed when they made love. She didn't do it all the time, but when she did it was very satisfying. "Of course, when Pops is visiting we have to keep it down since he'll be down the hallway."

"I'll try Booth, but you can very noisy too." Brennan didn't want to take all of the blame. "Especially when we're in the tub."

"Yeah, well . . . yeah." Booth blushed. "We won't have sex in the bathtub when Pops is visiting."

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	72. Chapter 72

(The Foot in the Foreclosure)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan had talked it over with Booth and in the end, they hired a moving company to move everything from the apartment to the house. Their friends had offered to help them move, but Brennan wanted it done in one day. It would be more efficient and professional movers would make sure their things arrived in one piece. She worried about her antiquities and wanted professional movers to handle them during transportation.

Once everything was unloaded in to the house, Booth did get Wendell, Hodgins and Sweets to come over and help him put the beds back together and placed in the main bedroom and Parker's bedroom. They helped put the rest of the furniture in the appropriate rooms and with Brennan's help all of the carefully labeled boxes were carried into appropriate rooms and placed along the walls to be unpacked when they had the time.

Sweets and Wendell wanted to help unpack the boxes, but Booth needed to buy shelving and a bookcase for Parker's room. He also planned to buy some shelves and bookcases for the guest bedroom, the living room and the man cave, so he declined their offer. He did appreciate their help as did Brennan.

Once they looked over the rooms, Brennan put a list together of things they needed to buy to make their house a home. Besides shelves and bookcases, they needed a bed for the guest bedroom that contained the handicapped bathroom and they needed to buy materials so that Booth could build a wall between the man cave and the new guest bedroom that would take up the back half of the basement. Brennan wanted new curtains for each room and office furniture for her office. There was a lot of work to do, but they could do it at a leisurely pace. They weren't in a rush.

Once Booth's Mustang was in the garage along with his tools and the boxes he had had in storage, he was able to give up his storage unit and Booth appreciated that he would be able to use that money to help with the renovations in the basement and whatever upkeep needed done. Every little bit helped.

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Booth set up the new bed in the back bedroom and made sure the attached bathroom had towels, washcloths, soap and other necessities. He planned to invite his grandfather over for a visit as soon as the house was set up, but much to his surprise the old man had done something at the retirement home and now he was at his house.

"Bones, Pops is at the house. He's going to be staying with us for a little while." Booth had just arrived back at work and he needed to let his girlfriend know that they had company.

 _Alright. It's a good thing the back guestroom is habitable._

"Yeah . . . look something happened at the retirement home, but he won't tell me what it was." That worried Booth a lot. "He just showed up and said he was going to visit us for a while. I know the house is still mostly unpacked boxes, but it should be okay. We can still work on them a few at a time. I'm going to stop at the store tonight and buy a television for Pops' room. I don't want him walking down stairs to the man cave when no one is around."

 _That sounds like an excellent idea. We can move the dresser in Parker's room into Hank's bedroom and buy a new dresser for Parker's room. I wish he had waited until we had finished setting up the rooms, but we will manage._

"Thanks, Bones." He was glad that Brennan was so understanding. "I'll cook dinner tonight. I know you're working on our case and you have your hands full trying to identify that ash body." Once the call was ended, Booth shook his head and made a few phone calls. They had a case that needed to be solved and he'd already used up some of his time driving his grandfather out to the house when he should have been working.

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Hank had loved the new kitchen when he saw it and wanted to surprise his hosts by cooking dinner for them. He started prepping everything that needed to go into his lasagna, but something went wrong and a kitchen towel caught on fire. A fire extinguisher located next to the fridge helped him put out the fire on the stove, but he didn't count on the smoke detector being hooked up to an alarm company who contacted the fire department and Booth.

Booth arrived home to find a fire truck in the driveway which made him worry about his grandfather's safety. Hurrying into the house, he found Hank sitting next to the breakfast table in the kitchen with a fireman and a paramedic sitting next to him. "Everything okay?" The top of the stove was scorched and the ceiling above the stove looked as if it had smoke damage.

Captain Dunmore stood up and nodded his head. "There was a little fire, but Mr. Booth put it out before we got here. We made sure that everything was okay and the fire was completely put out. Mr. Booth was suffering from a little smoke inhalation, but we gave him oxygen and he's okay. He told us he's a heart patient and Buddy checked him out. Mr. Booth seems to be alright, but he should make an appointment to see his doctor just to make sure."

Irritated, Hank shook his head. "They're making a big deal out of nothing. I didn't call them to come here, your alarm company did that. They asked me for a password, but because I didn't have it they sent the fire department."

Relieved that his grandfather was okay, Booth shook the hands of the firefighter and the EMT before they left. "Thanks a lot." Once they were gone, Booth sat down, turned his attention to the blackened stove and sighed. "Want to tell me what happened?"

His irritation growing, Hank crossed his arms against his chest. "Nothing happened . . . okay something happened, but it wasn't my fault. One minute the ground meat was cooking on the stove and the next minute there was a fire. I put it out. I'll clean the stove and it'll be as good as new."

Trying to be patient, Booth shook his head. "Pops, I have to get back to work and I need you to come with me. I need to make sure you're going to be okay and I can't do it if you're by yourself."

His eyes glittering with anger, Hank growled. "I don't need a damn babysitter. I'll just stay in my room and wait for you to come back home. You can cook your own damn dinner."

As patiently as he could, Booth placed his arms on the table and leaned forward. "Pops, everything is new around here. I'm not even used to how the stove really works, so I don't blame you for anything, but you had some smoke inhalation and you know your heart has had some trouble lately. I'd rather you come with me, so I can make sure you're okay. I won't be able to do my job, if I'm worried about how you're doing."

His grandson sounded sincere and what he had said made sense. "Well, if you put it that way, then okay, I'll come with you. We need to put the meat in the fridge so it doesn't spoil. Want me to clean the stove?"

Booth shook his head. "No, I'll clean it tonight. It's alright." Glad that his grandfather was going to come with him, he felt that he could keep a better eye on the old man if he was with him and not have to worry about whether or not he was in trouble at home. Now he just needed to find time to call Brennan and let her know what had happened.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The afternoon had been interesting since Hank had gone with them for a few of their interviews with suspects, but they had managed to do their job and they made sure that Hank wasn't having any complications from his little adventure. Their day done, once they were home Booth cleaned the stove while Brennan made salad for dinner. Hank tried to help his grandson, but Booth had him help Brennan instead. Once it was clean, Booth realized that the stove had received a little damage, but it was mostly cosmetic. The steel surface was darker where the towel had burned, but it was still usable and that was all that mattered to Booth. He knew that Brennan was going to be annoyed with the stained stove top, but they couldn't just buy a new stove because it looked weird. That would be absurd as far as Booth was concerned.

Their dinner was a quiet affair and Hank left the table as soon as he finished eating. He walked down the stairs to the man cave to watch a game while the couple cleaned up the kitchen. "Bones, I'm sorry about the stove. It looks like it's okay. I can paint the ceiling and that will take care of the smoke damage."

"Alright." She had looked at the stove and she wasn't happy about the discolored surface, but the stove was usable and she didn't want to replace it just because of the discoloration. "If Hank is going to stay with us, I need to see if we can get a home care professional to come in during the day while he is here."

Booth agreed. "I still need to find out why Pops left the retirement home. Maybe whatever happened is fixable. If not, I guess we'll have to find another retirement home for him. He doesn't want to stay here permanently. He needs to be with people, so he won't be lonely. We're gone too much."

"I agree." Brennan finished wiping down the table, while Booth started the dishwasher. "It's fine Booth. Accidents happen and no lasting damage was done. The home care worker can cook Hank lunch and breakfast, so he won't have to worry about that."

Grateful that his partner was so understanding, Booth stepped closer and kissed her. "You're amazing, just so you know that."

Amused, Brennan retuned his kiss. "I am and I'm glad you noticed."

Booth chuckled and kissed her again. "Oh believe me, I noticed."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan wanted to catch up on some of her journals, so Booth took the opportunity to talk to his grandfather. Carrying two bowls of ice cream and two bottles of Coke, Booth walked down to the basement and found his grandfather sitting on the couch watching a Flyers game. "I'm sorry the place is messy. I can't unpack those boxes until I have my shelves up. The couch and chair are from my apartment, so they're comfortable." He handed a bowl of ice cream and a Coke to his grandfather and sat down on the chair. "It's going to be pretty nice when my stuff is on the shelves and you can see them."

Hank was embarrassed that he had caused so much trouble for his grandson. He had meant to do a good deed and had almost burned the house down instead. He guessed he was just getting too old to cook anymore and that made him sad. He had been self-sufficient for a long time and had even raised two young boys at an age when he should have been retired. It's hard to admit that your body can't do what your mind wants to do. "Seeley, I didn't mean to make a mess of the kitchen."

"Don't apologize Pops." Booth didn't want his grandfather to apologize for an accident. "Shit happens. Remember that time I tried to replace the electrical socket in the kitchen and I didn't turn off the electricity first. I melted the end of the screw driver and shocked the shit out of myself. That was dumb, but you showed me how to do it right and I've never forgot that you didn't yell at me. You just pointed out what my mistake was and told me how to correct it."

Snorting, Hank shook his head. "I didn't think I needed to yell at you. That electrical jolt scared you pretty badly. You came close to being toast, but thank God you just got the shock and that's all. Sometimes we make mistakes. We just have to hope they aren't permanent mistakes."

"Yeah, so don't worry about the stove." Booth was glad to see his grandfather smiling. "Will you tell me why you left the retirement home? I thought you were happy there. Did someone abuse you? If they did you need to tell me."

His cheeks a faint pink, Hank sipped his Coke and placed the bottle on the coffee table in front of him. "Actually, I did the abusing. I was smoking a cigar in a non-smoking area and one of the aides took it out of my mouth and I hit him . . . It was dumb thing to do. He just looked at me like I was some poor lost soul and that embarrassed me. I decided to leave for a while to let things calm down. They didn't ask me to leave, but I think they were glad when I told them I was coming here for a visit. I can't go around hitting people. It was wrong and I will apologize when I go back."

Booth scooped some ice cream in his mouth, swallowed it and rested the bowl on his lap. "So, you want to go back?"

"Of course, it's too boring around here." Hank smiled and scooped some ice cream into his mouth. It was chocolate and his favorite.

Since he had been told before he was a workaholic by his grandfather, he let it go. "Well, you can stay as long as you want to, you know that."

"I know." Hank scooped up another spoonful of the ice cream. "I appreciate that, but I'm going back tomorrow morning. You and Temperance need to get your house in order and I know it's going to take some time. You can call me when the house is set up and I'll come for a visit then. And you won't have to worry about me cooking from now on. I'll eat take-out for lunch every day while I'm here. I love pizza and Chinese food, but the retirement home doesn't serve that stuff. Too much salt they say. Humph . . . I'll need to visit you once in a while just to satisfy my taste buds."

"Any time, Pops. Any time."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	73. Chapter 73

(The Gamer in the Grease)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

He shuffled into the bedroom and groaned as he toed his shoes off. Feeling years older than he was, he removed a pair of boxers from the dresser and slowly made his way into the bathroom. Pain rippling down his lower back to his hips, he leaned over and turned the water on in the tub. He set the temperature to as hot as he could stand it making sure it wouldn't actually burn him. Struggling to get his clothes off, Booth panted as the pain was unrelenting. Once he was ready, he carefully stepped into the tub and sat down, his back spasming the last few inches as he settled into the tub. Once the water was deep as he could allow, he leaned over turned the tap off and leaned back against the tub.

Brennan has finished unloading the last of the boxes she had in the laundry room on the shelves and felt a great sense of accomplishment. After she collapsed the boxes, she carried them out to the garage where she piled them on a growing stack of boxes that would eventually be taken to a recycling center. Once that was accomplished she walked through the house, turning off lights and making sure the back and front doors were locked. She knew that Booth normally did that, but he was currently working on building a wall in the basement to separate the man cave from the guest bedroom.

As she entered their bedroom, she noticed the bathroom door was open and the lights were on. Curious she entered the bathroom and found Booth laying in the tub, his eyes closed and his nose barely about the water. "Are you asleep? You are likely to drown if you slide any lower into the water."

Booth opened his eyes and raised back up so that his head was leaning on the back of the tub. "No, almost, but not really."

Moving closer to the tub, she smiled at her boyfriend. "Would you like me to join you?"

Exhaling deeply, Booth shook his head. "Not really. My back hurts and I'm trying to soak in hot water . . . I don't think it's helping much."

"Oh, what did you do?" Brennan knelt next to the tub and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Is it your lower back?"

"Yeah, I was standing on a ladder securing the drywall to the wood panel with some screws and I think I twisted when I shouldn't have. My lower back feels like a fist is pressed against my spine. I was almost done too, damn it."

Rubbing her hand up and down his upper arm, Brennan worried about her boyfriend's weak bones. "Get out of the tub. I think I can fix your problem."

Wary, Booth leaned forward to release the water from the tub. "Fix me how? What are you going to do?"

"I've studied kinesiology and I believe I can fix your problem." She watched her boyfriend stand up and step out of the tub. Handing him a towel, he dried off while she waited.

"Um, you know what? My back doesn't hurt anymore." Booth tried to dry off without bending, but since that is impossible, he knew that Brennan could see he was lying. "How do I know you won't paralyze me?" He wanted to trust her, but his bones hurt enough as it was.

"Don't you trust me?" She was a little hurt that he would think she might be careless enough to hurt him. "I can assure you that you will be safe."

He hated that she was making it a trust issue. "No, of course I trust you." Dropping the towel on the tub ledge, he turned to face his partner and sighed. "Okay, what do I have to do."

Pleased that he was going to cooperate, Brennan smiled and walked around him, so that she was facing his back. Placing her arms through the loops of his arms, she placed her hands on the back of his neck. "When I move, you move with me. Slowly. Don't fight me."

Not sure he wanted to let her 'fix' him, Booth felt her move and when she did, he did. In a matter of seconds, he felt the pain in his lower back stop and he was filled with relief. Stepping away from her, he placed his hands on his lower back and pressed. "Oh wow, you did it." The pain gone, Booth turned and looked at Brennan and grinned. "Hey the pain's gone. How'd you do that?"

Glad he was feeling better, Brennan leaned over and picked up the damp towel Booth had stood on while he had dried off. "I told you, I studied kinesiology. You should have trusted me to know what I was doing."

Booth placed his hand on her arm and pulled her towards his body. "I do trust you." Kissing her, he placed his other hand on her hip. "I trust you every day." He kissed her once more and felt her respond. "I think you're overdressed."

Brennan laughed. "I just fixed your back. I think it would be better for you, if you went to bed and rested. Having sex may undo what I've just done."

Disappointed, Booth kissed her once more. "Well, if you're going to be all logical and stuff."

"I am logical and stuff." Brennan stepped away and pointed towards the bedroom. "Go to bed and sleep. I've made sure the doors are locked and the alarm has been set."

'Thanks Bones," As he moved into the bedroom, he appreciated that his back wasn't killing him. It was bad enough that his feet hurt, but he hated it when his back had a problem. It just seemed to him that he was falling apart too fast for a guy his age. Of course, it didn't help that he'd been tortured as a prisoner of war when he'd been young. _Oh well. It's not like I can do anything about it._

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

"So Parker this is your room." Booth led his son into his bedroom and waited to see how the boy would react. Angela had volunteered to paint the walls and she had settled on two solid light blue walls and on two walls she had painted a western railroad station and an oncoming steam locomotive. Parker was interested in trains at the moment, so Booth had thought it would be cool to decorate his son's room with a train on the wall.

"Dad, this is so cool." Parker walked closer to the railroad scenes and grinned. "I wish Mom would let me paint my wall like this. I really like this a lot."

Pleased, Booth smiled at his son. "Angela painted it for you. She told me to tell you that when you get tired of trains let her know and she'll paint something else."

"Gosh, she's great, Dad." Parker loved Angela. He thought she was pretty and very smart. "What's in the boxes." The boy pointed at the boxes stacked near the closet.

Moving over to where the boxes were, Booth opened one and carried it over to the empty bookshelf near the boy's bed. "I put up this bookcase and those shelves. Those clear boxes under the shelves are for your toys. The bookcase and shelves are for your books and whatever you want on them. I thought we could go through the boxes together and you can decide what you want where."

Excited, the boy rushed over to the stack of boxes and carried one over to the bookshelves. "Thanks Dad."

"You're welcome, Sport." The box he had opened contained books. Booth pointed at the bookcase and the boy nodded his head. "Once we're done here we can go outside and throw around a football. It isn't too cold."

In love with his room. Parker placed some Star Wars figures on one of the lower shelves. "I like it here, Dad. My room is a lot bigger than the one in your apartment."

Booth snorted. "Ha, the bathroom in the hallway is bigger than your old bedroom . . . It's a nice place. Bones did good job finding this house." He had been worried that the house was too big and too expensive, but as they settled into the house and made a few changes, Booth had grown to like it. He hadn't lived in a house since he had left his grandfather's house to go to college and this was the first house he had ever owned. It still amazed him that Brennan had placed his name as co-owner on the deed. She was constantly amazing him.

"I sure wish I could spend Christmas this year with you." Parker placed a box of Legos in one of the clear boxes under the shelves. "Mom first said we were going to Connecticut to ski, but now she says we're going to Switzerland. Where's Switzerland Dad?"

"Switzerland?" Booth was stunned. This was the first he was hearing of Rebecca's Christmas plans." What are you going to do in Switzerland?"

Parker carried the empty box to the other side of the room and dragged a full one over to the shelves. "We're going skiing with Grandfather and Grandmother. We're having a family Christmas there. Can you and Bones come?"

Trying to keep his anger in check, Booth shook his head. "I'm not part of that family, Parker . . . When are you leaving?" He was furious and if Rebecca had been standing in front of him he was sure he would have lost it.

"The week before Christmas. Mom says we'll be back four days after Christmas." After he opened the box, he found some toys that he thought he was too old to play with. "These are baby toys, Dad. I don't want them anymore."

His mind on Rebecca's betrayal, Booth nodded his head, picked up the box and carried it out of the room. His mind raging, he walked the box out to the garage and placed it on a shelf. Alone, he punched the dry wall next to the shelf and realized that had been a stupid thing to do. His knuckles bleeding, he grabbed a clean rag from his rag box and dabbed at the blood. "Christmas! . . . I get Christmas with Parker . . . Fuck!"

He was so angry, Booth was afraid to go back into the house. He didn't want his son to see how angry he was. He had always tried to be civil around Parker's mother even when she was using him or was cancelling his time with Parker, but now he wasn't sure he could keep letting it happen. As he paced in the garage, he thought about his options and what it might mean if he took Rebecca to court to formalize his rights.

After a while, the garage door opened and Brennan entered the building. "Parker asked me where you were." She stopped and noticed the bloody rag looped around Booth's left hand and pointed at it. "What happened to your hand? Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright." Booth was embarrassed that he had punched the wall, but he had other things to worry about at the moment. "Rebecca is taking Parker to Europe to ski for Christmas. She didn't even tell me. Parker told me . . . She knows that I get Parker for Christmas, I always get Parker for Christmas . . . God I'm so angry right now." He knew he sounded a little crazy and that he needed to get himself under control. "It's okay, Bones. I just came out here to work it out of my system. I couldn't let Parker see me this angry . . . I didn't want you to see me angry either . . . Okay." He closed his eyes and used his sniper training to control his breathing and his emotions. He wasn't about to scare his family because he couldn't control his anger. That wasn't who he was.

She watched him shut down, slow his breathing and regain control. She had seen him do that before and she knew he would be calmer in a few minutes. While she waited, she thought about their options. She was tired of Rebecca misusing her boyfriend. It was time that Booth fought for his rights as a co-parent. As soon as she saw Booth relax and had his emotions back under control, Brennan stepped forward and placed her hand on his arm. "You have rights Booth. It's time we had them formalized."

Surprised, Booth opened his eyes and frowned. "I think so too . . . would you be alright with Parker visiting more often? Right now, it's just two weekends a month."

"Of course, Booth." Brennan loved Parker. "Perhaps we could ask for half of the holidays and the summer vacation months . . . or you could ask full parental rights and ask for custody."

He loved her so much. "I won't take Parker from his mother, Bones. I lost my mother when I was a kid and I can't do that to Parker, but yeah, I'd like to go for more visits and Summer vacation months would be perfect . . . Thanks Bones."

"You're welcome." Brennan kissed him and then placed his wounded hand in her hand. "Let's go back inside and let me clean this up. You don't want it to get infected. Also, we don't want Parker to see this. It might upset him."

"Yeah, it was dumb to hit the wall. I shouldn't have done that." His hand was throbbing. He hoped he hadn't broken it.

She nodded her head and walked towards the door. "Yes, it was and no you shouldn't have."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	74. Chapter 74

(The Gamer in the Grease / The Goop in the Girl)

Thank you for reviewing my story. It is the only way I can tell if you are still interested in my story.

A/N: Fanfiction has been acting up for about a week. Sometimes notifications works and sometimes it doesn't. If you are interested, I posted a new story yesterday 'Mardi Gras'. I don't think anyone received an email about it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

Within seconds after knocking on the front door, it was opened and Rebecca found herself facing Booth. "Is Parker ready?"

Stepping back, Booth motioned for her to come in. "Not yet." As she entered the house, Booth moved into the living room, careful to keep some distance from his ex. "Before you leave, we need to talk."

The coldness in his tone of voice told Rebecca that the next few minutes were probably going to be very unpleasant. "I take it that Parker told you about Switzerland?" She had hoped Parker wouldn't mention it and give her the chance to talk to his father first. "As you know, my father hasn't been doing well and he wanted one more family Christmas together before it's too late. Dad wants the entire family to be together and that means Parker too. He's paying for the trip for everyone. That's how badly he wants his family to be together . . . I was going to tell you today. I know you get Parker during Christmas, but Dad wants his grandson at the family gathering. I have to make sure that happens. It could be the last Christmas my father is going to get."

He had been through a lot in the last few months with his grandfather, so Booth was sympathetic towards Rebecca's father, but he also felt that he was being used by Parker's mother. "And what was your excuse last year when you and Drew wanted to take Parker to Connecticut to ski during Christmas? We had an arrangement. I get our son during Christmas."

"And you do, but things happen and you can't always get your way, Seeley." She was losing her patience. "I have custody of Parker. I allow you to visit with him. You should be grateful for that. You see him two weekends a month. You need to be careful or you could lose that privilege."

Booth suppressed his rage. He knew that it was important to remain calm. Brennan and he had known this was going to be rough conversation and he was using all of his skills to make sure he remained calm. "That's where you're wrong. I've been paying child support since Parker was born. I have the cancelled checks to prove it. My name is on his birth certificate and I am his father . . . Just to let you know, you can take Parker to Switzerland, but things are going to change next year . . . I'm taking you to court to formalize my rights. No more of this shit you keep pulling on me. I have rights and I'm not going to let you take them from me."

A cold chill ran down her spine. Rebecca hadn't counted on Booth asserting himself. He never had before. "This is your girlfriend's doing ins't it? Well, if you want to take me to court then do it. It may not turn out the way you think it will."

"What the hell does that mean?" It sounded like a threat and Booth didn't rollover when threatened.

"It means, if you push this, you could lose all of your rights." She needed her ex to understand that she was a damn good lawyer and she would protect her rights.

Brennan had had enough and stepped into the room. "I don't think so . . . Booth will have the finest lawyer available and he will prevail."

Filled with anger, Rebecca shook her head. "I'm a great lawyer, one of the best. Seeley will lose if he takes me to court."

Amused, Brennan laughed, "You may think you're intimidating, but you really aren't. Booth will be fine."

Not happy to be cut out of the conversation, Booth folded his arms against his chest. "Rebecca, you'll hear from my lawyer after Christmas." Raising his voice, he called out his son's name and watched the boy enter the room from the man cave below. He had asked his son to stay downstairs while he talked to Rebecca. "Parker, your Mom is here. Come give me a hug."

The boy raced across the room and hugged his father. "I wish I could be here for Christmas."

"I know Parker. It's okay." Booth would not spoil his son's skiing trip. "We'll celebrate Christmas when you come back." As the boy walked over to hug Brennan, Booth turned to face Rebecca. "Merry Christmas, Rebecca." Moving over to the suitcase sitting next to the door, Booth picked it up. "I hope your father gets what he wants."

"Thank you." She had always vowed not to argue with Parker's father in front of the boy. He needed to know that his parents loved him. She just wasn't sure what was going to happen in the future. Rebecca didn't want to separate Parker from his father, but she would protect her custody rights. "He will."

Once Parker and Rebecca were gone, Booth reentered his house and moved over to where Brennan was standing. "Maybe this is a mistake."

"No it isn't." Brennan believed that Booth was doing the right thing. "If you don't do something now it will just get worse and you know it."

He knew she was right, but it worried him. It worried him a lot.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Even though Parker was going to be in Europe for Christmas, Booth decided that Christmas would be celebrated in the Booth/Brennan household anyway. He bought a tree and decorated it. The living room was spacious and that allowed him to buy a tall, well filled out tree. This was his first large tree and he loved it. His grandmother's angel sat on the top of the tree and he was filled with pride. "What do you think, Bones?" He knew she wasn't a believer, but she was getting used to celebrating at least some of the traditions that went with the holiday.

"The tree is lovely, Booth." She liked the numerous decorations that were spread out on the tree. The chaos was actually charming. "Do you think it will live long enough for Parker to see it?" She had her doubts.

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "I hope so. If it doesn't then we'll take it down. I have a ceramic Christmas tree that belonged to my grandmother Alice. She gave it to me the year before she died. She didn't want it to be thrown away and she was afraid that if she gave it to anyone else it would be. I can put it on a stool where the tree is right now and Parker's presents will surround the stool. It'll be okay. He likes the ceramic tree. I used to place it on the dresser in his bedroom in my apartment. I promised him that he can have it when he's an adult."

"Alright." As long as the tree wasn't a fire hazard, Brennan was fine with keeping the tree up as long as possible. "Dad came by before you came home. He'd like to spend Christmas with us." She wasn't sure if she wanted to do that or not. She was still trying to forgive him for his years of absence and his abandonment of her, but Booth has assured her that time would fix it. She wasn't sure if that was true, but she did want her father in her life. What he had done was unforgivable, but at least he was trying to be a father again. "He says that he is in contact with one of my relatives, a cousin, and he would like to invite her to come for the holidays."

"Sounds okay to me." Booth glanced towards the man cave. "I have the wall up, but we don't have any furniture in the guest bedroom yet. Max could stay in Parker's room I guess, but the bed is a twin. He might not like that. Pops needs to use the back guestroom . . . I guess we can go furniture shopping this afternoon. We need to get a bed, a mattress and a dresser . . . oh and a lamp . . . sheets, pillows . . . I think we better go now. It's going to take time to find that stuff and we need to have it delivered before Christmas."

Brennan was surprised that Booth was alright about Max staying with them. She knew that he wanted her to reconcile with her father, but she was never quite sure how her boyfriend felt about her father and he did like his privacy. "I think a full bed will fit in the room. We can place it along the back wall and that will leave the room with space to allow for a chair. There aren't any closets in the room, so we should consider buying a chifferobe."

"Alright." Booth knew that was a lot of expense up front, but once everything was in place the room would be available whenever Max needed it. "We'll tell Max it's his Christmas present."

Brennan shook her head. "I don't think we should tell him that. That would mean he could remove the furniture since it would be his."

He wasn't sure if she was serious or not, but she did have a point. "Yeah, he is a conman." He liked Max, but he didn't trust him. "You know there isn't a bathroom down there. Maybe we should think about putting in a half bath someday. It wouldn't have to take up too much room. A small room with a toilet and a small sink."

"That's an excellent idea, Booth." Brennan smiled. "That also means you won't have to go up and down the stairs during a game."

"Yeah, I thought about that too." He was thinking a little fridge in his man cave for beer would probably be a good idea. "You know I thought this house was going to be too big for us, but the way we're going we're going to use up every bit of space. You did a good job picking out the house . . . Someday when we have a kid, this house will be perfect. We can build a treehouse in the backyard or one of those little play houses and the yard is fenced in, so our child would be protected . . . and when our kid gets older and he's mad at us, he can move down to the guest bedroom in the basement and ignore us." He laughed. Just dealing with Jared when he'd been a teenager was enough to make Booth realize that raising a child might not be a bed of roses, but that was okay. He wanted a family and he was prepared for anything.

Surprised that Booth was talking about a child, Brennan smiled. "Do you think we're ready for a child?" She knew that Booth was still worried about his brain tumor and the odd changes that he had gone through, but if he was thinking about a child, then he was obviously becoming more confident in the future.

"Sure I do . . . well, I think I am." He wasn't sure if he had a future, but Brennan wanted a child and maybe it was time to make sure she had one before it was too late. He didn't know if his tumor was going to come back or not, but he needed to move on with his life. Waiting to die was a grim way to live. He leaned over and kissed her. "It will be fun trying anyway."

Happy to hear that Booth was ready, Brennan decided to make an appointment with her gynecologist in the next week or two. She would need to stop taking her birth control and she needed to make sure she was healthy enough to carry a baby. Since Booth had had his tumor, she realized that things could take a drastic change for the worst. "I think it will be fun too."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	75. Chapter 75

(The Goop in the Girl)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I really don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

To say that Max was shocked might be an understatement. "You want me to stay with you and Booth at your house during Christmas?" He had definitely not seen that coming. "Thank you, Tempe. I can sleep on the couch, so you don't have to worry about me."

"Don't be ridiculous Dad." Brennan was a little insulted that her father thought she might be such a terrible host. "Booth and I went shopping for furniture for the guest bedroom. You will have the option of sleeping in Parker's bedroom since he won't be with us during the holiday or you can use the new guest bedroom in the basement. Parker uses a twin bed. The guest bedroom has a full-size bed."

"Oh, I'll take the full bed, thank you." Max hadn't seen the new house yet and was eager to see what it looked like. "Will you have room for Margaret? You know the cousin I told you about? She'd like to meet you."

Since she didn't really know Margaret, Brennan wasn't sure she would like her cousin to stay in her house. It might be a lot to ask of her boyfriend too. "Unless she wishes to sleep in a twin bed in Parker's room the answer would be no. Booth's grandfather is going to use the other guest bedroom. He needs that one because it has an attached handicap bathroom."

"Oh, okay." Max thought he'd talk to Margaret and see if she wanted to stay in his apartment or a hotel. "I'll see what she wants to do." He really wanted his daughter to meet Margaret, but Tempe was living with Booth and she might be balking because of that. "Would you like me to bring a Christmas tree or . . . I don't know, a turkey or a ham?"

Brennan shook her head. "Booth already has a tree up. He did an excellent job. As for a turkey or ham, Booth already has a turkey in the refrigerator thawing. We won't need a ham unless you want one. If so, then you may bring one." It seemed like a lot of meat, but she supposed they could freeze some of it. "I am making tofu-turkey and we both plan to bake a few desserts."

"Sounds good." Everything sounded taken care of, but he decided to bring some wine, some presents and perhaps a cooked spiral ham. He didn't feel comfortable staying for Christmas and coming empty handed. "It's settled, I'll be there Christmas Eve. This is going to be fun, Tempe, just like when you were young."

"Not hardly." Brennan shook her head. "I'm not a child and I'm living with a man now."

Max knew he had a long way to go to get on his daughter's good side. "I meant as a family. We'll be together as a family."

"Except Mom is dead and Russ is in North Carolina."

A very long way to go.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The bomb went off and Booth was knocked to the ground. That his head didn't hit the ground very hard when he was thrown back was miraculous. When Booth was thrown from his feet, he had tried to twist so that he would land on his side. He was only partially successful, but his head had been protected enough and that was all Booth had hoped for.

Once he was no longer stunned, he staggered to his feet, then fell to his knees. His ears were ringing and at the moment that was all he could hear, bells echoing through his head. His hands over his ears, he glanced towards the bank and saw a bloody mess on the road and sidewalk. The bank robber had set off a bomb he was carrying with him and that criminal was no longer recognizable as a man. Large and small pieces of him were everywhere and so was the money he had been carrying.

After a few moments, he stood back up and felt his back protest which made him angry. His back had been alright since Brennan had given him a massage and now it looked like it had been hurt again. As he leaned against the truck, he watched police cars pull up near a taxi next to the bank, but cautiously enough not to run over the remains or blood soaked money. That was good, because if the body parts were damaged further, he knew his girlfriend was going to be pissed.

"Booth . . . Booth."

He didn't hear his name called at first, but Brennan's touch on his arm finally got his attention. "Bones . . . how'd you get here so fast?"

"Not so fast, Booth. It took us seventeen minutes to get here after we heard what had happened." Brennan was now worried that Booth had injured his head. So was Cam.

"Booth, let me examine you." Cam moved closer and waited for Brennan to step aside. She gently moved his head down and inspected it, running her hands gently over his head. When she found a bump on the back of his head towards the left side, she moved her finger over it and watched her friend wince. Just to make sure it wasn't serious, she pulled out a pen light from a pocket and studied his eyes.

Concerned about the lost time, Booth stared at Cam's nose while she looked at his eyes. "Seventeen minutes . . . it doesn't seem like seventeen minutes since the bomb went off . . . I don't think my head hit the ground, but maybe it did."

"There is a bump on the back of your head, but it's not where you had surgery, thank God." His skull was weak where his tumor had been removed and it could have been fatal if he had fallen hard on that section of his skull. "I think it's just a hematoma . . . bleeding under the skin. Most bumps aren't something to worry about. Your pupils are normal, you aren't dizzy are you . . . nauseous . . . headache?"

"No, I'm not dizzy and I don't feel sick." Booth wanted to take over the crime scene and Cam and Brennan were in the way. "Look, I can deal with bumps. I need to get to work."

"No Booth." Brennan shook her head. "You're covered in evidence. We need to take you back to the Lab."

A little horrified, he looked down. His suit was spackled with blood and human tissue. It reminded him of his time in Iraq. He had lost a friend who had stepped on a mine and had been blown up. Booth had been across the road, but he had been hit by the shock wave when his friend had been torn apart. He had been thrown to the ground covered in blood and his friend's torn flesh. "I . . . uh . . ." He pulled himself together. "It isn't much. I'll just give you my jacket."

"No, Booth." Brennan knew that Booth wasn't aware of just how much tissue was on him. "It's on your pants and it's in your hair."

Since he knew that he had no choice, he nodded his head. "Let me give out some instructions before I leave the scene." He waved at Agent Harris who had just checked on the people inside the bank. "Harris, you have to take over for now. I have to go to the Lab."

Harris had noticed Booth's condition when he'd arrived, just before Cam and Brennan had arrived. He'd already surmised that Booth would be forced to leave. "Are you alright?" He walked closer to where Booth stood. "You look terrible."

"Well you stand near someone when they blow up and then tell me about it." Booth was not happy. "Just do your job and I'll come back as soon as I can . . . I see we have two others that were hit in the blast."

"Yeah, a cab driver and his fare. The cab driver needs a doctor." Harris had already talked to the woman fare. "The woman is covered in more shit than you are, but she isn't hurt. I guess she'll have to go to the Lab too."

Brennan glared at the agent in disbelief. "Of course she will." Really, Harris should have known better as far as she was concerned.

Glancing around the crime scene, Cam sighed. "I'll stay and supervise the retrieval of the body parts. This is not going to be easy."

"No shit." Harris shook his head. "I have to get the money collected too and I guess it's probably covered in blood and goop too."

"Yes, we will need the money brought to the Lab, so that Hodgins can check it for human remains."

Staring at a bloody, burned twenty-dollar bill laying at his feet, Harris sighed. "This is going to be fun."

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Once Booth was stripped down to his underwear, Brennan considered taking those too. "There is blood on your boxers Booth."

"No way, Bones. I gave you all I'm going to give you." At least they were in an examination room and the door was locked. "You're going to have to go out to my SUV and bring me back my gym bag."

While he sat on a table Brennan examined his head. The bump worried her, but for now it didn't seem to be serious. "You were lucky not to have sustained cranial damage. I think Cam is correct and the bump is nothing to worry about." As she removed bits of flesh from his hair, she realized that she could have easily lost him earlier that day. A tear fell down her cheek and she knew that she needed to put her fears aside. Booth was fine and sitting right in front of her. "Max says he will come for Christmas and Hank called me this morning to say he was coming too. He offered to take a cab, but I told him that one of us will come and get him . . . Max wants to invite a cousin I have never met to spend Christmas with us."

He wasn't sure if he wanted a stranger in their house. "Do you want her to come? I mean you don't know her, you just said so."

Careful to pull what looked like a piece of artery from Booth's hair, Brennan placed it in a specimen cup. "Max wants her to come. I think he wants me to connect with what family I have left."

"If you want her there, then invite her." Booth flinched as she tugged something from his hair. "Neither of us have much family . . . She can stay in Parker's room . . . that is if you want her to come."

It seemed like a weak form of acceptance of the situation, but Brennan knew that Booth was family oriented and he would overcome his dislike of loss of privacy if it would help her find a new family connection. She just wasn't sure if she was interested. "I'm done." I'll go get your gym bag and you can change into whatever you have in the bag. I'm going to keep your suit, shirt and tie. You know they're ruined anyway."

He knew it, but he hated to lose a good suit and the tie was new. "Yeah . . . damn it." Before she left the room, Booth stood up, stepped closer to her and kissed her. "I'm okay, so stop worrying. As for Margaret, invite her. She might be interesting and it will make Max happy."

"Alright." She returned his kiss. "After you interview the woman that was in the cab, you need to go home and bathe. You are covered in too much blood to actually go back to work right now."

"Yeah, I am pretty gross." His nose wrinkled. "I've been through this before . . . in a war zone . . . it never gets easier being splattered by someone that used to be alive . . . it just doesn't."

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He moaned in pleasure. His day had been a long one and by the time he had returned home, his back was stiff and he felt sore all over. Brennan had arrived shortly after he did and once he had taken a hot bath she had insisted on giving him a massage. "Damn Bones, that feels so good."

Amused, she continued to massage his back. "You have several bruises on your body, most notably on your left shoulder and arm, your left hip and your left leg. You obviously tried to twist to the left to avoid falling on your back, but that action strained your back muscles. You were lucky you weren't closer to the bank robber when the bomb went off."

"Yeah." When he closed his eyes he still saw the look of fear on the man's face just before he blew up. It was the same look his friend Roger had had when he had realized he had stepped on an IED. Booth had been talking to his friend as they had been walking along the dirt road and he had witnessed the complete destruction of his friend. "The guy didn't have a chance . . . he was afraid. If he had control of the bomb, why was he afraid? He didn't have to blow himself up. Something just seems wrong . . . we need the identity of the bomber."

What he was saying made sense and that made her wonder why the bomber had blown himself up. "We should know by tomorrow." Finished with his massage, Brennan leaned over and checked the bump on Booth's head. Satisfied that it was still the same size as it was that morning, she stood up and pulled the blanket up to cover her boyfriend. "Sleep Booth. I'm going to take a bath and join you . . . Do you wish to go pick up Hank tomorrow or would you like me to do it?"

Drowsy, Booth thought about it for a few seconds. "I'll go get him . . . I need the identity of the bomber."

"Alright." Grateful that Booth hadn't been seriously hurt that morning, Brennan gathered up a pair of pajamas and a pair of panties from the dresser and walked over to the bathroom. Pausing in the bathroom doorway she turned to look back at her partner. "I would like the rest of our week to be less adventuresome."

"You got it Bones." He was almost asleep. "Me too." His back no longer hurting, he felt grateful that Brennan cared so much for him. "Love you."

"I love you too, Booth."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	76. Chapter 76

(The Goop in the Girl)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

This wasn't the Christmas he thought he'd be having, but Booth never seemed to have a normal Christmas anyway. The morning began with a funeral. The dead Santa Claus had turned out to be the victim not the perpetrator of the bank robbery. Holden Chevaleer who was an exterminator, made a call on a client, was locked into a bomb vest and forced to rob the bank. The radio frequency on the bomb vest had been close to the frequency used by a rogue radio operator and the use of that frequency had made the bomb go off prematurely. Holden had been an only child and Brennan and Booth couldn't let his mother bury her son alone on Christmas Day.

Ms. Chevaleer had not only cried for the loss of her son, but she had also cried out of gratitude because not only had Booth and Brennan appeared at the grave site service, so had the team from the Jeffersonian. She hadn't known any of the people standing with her, but she would be forever grateful that someone besides herself had gone to her son's funeral. No one should be buried without witnesses and Hodgins, Angela, Cam and Michelle had tried to show Ms. Chevaleer some support in her time of grief. It was the right thing to do especially on Christmas Day.

Max and Margaret had shown up at the house on Christmas Eve and Margaret had been fine staying in Parker's bedroom. Booth had driven to the retirement home and brought Hank back to stay on Christmas Eve night, so they had a full house when they returned home from the cemetery.

Booth and Brennan had invited a few people over for Christmas dinner, but they had told them all that if they had other plans to please not to feel obligated to come. Booth just wanted to make sure that none of their friends were alone during the holiday. He'd had a few of those himself and he knew what it felt like to feel like no one cared about you.

The couple had spent all morning cooking and baking. Max and Margaret had felt a little guilty watching all the activity and had volunteered to help. Brennan soon had them peeling potatoes, and carrots and cutting up celery, zucchini and other fresh vegetables. Hank still felt guilty burning the stove and decided to stay out of the way. He sat in the living room reading a book and when someone came to the door, he answered it and ushered their guests inside.

As they arrived, some of the guests took the opportunity to explore the new house while the others congregated in the living room with Hank. Presents were placed under the tree and Hank provided them with drinks while they waited for dinner to be served.

Sweets had brought Daisy with him and he felt at home in the Booth/Brennan household. There was a fire in the fireplace and the room was warm and pleasant. "Lance let's look around. I haven't seen the new house yet."

Reluctant to leave the camaraderie of the room, he stood up and took Daisy's hand in his. "Sure. Let me give you the fifty cent tour." First, he walked them down the hallway to look into the bedrooms. Daisy had loved Booth and Brennan's bedroom. The spaciousness made her eager to buy her own house someday. Once they looked into Parker's room and Hank's room, they walked over to the kitchen and stood in the doorway, trying to stay out of the way.

"Oh, Dr. Brennan your kitchen is so modern." She admired the granite countertops and the stainless-steel appliances. "I love it."

Very busy preparing dinner, Brennan glanced at her intern and nodded her head. "It is one of the reasons Booth and I bought the house." Turning her attention back to the rice dressing she was making, she hoped that Caroline's recipe wasn't too spicy. Booth loved it, but then again, he loved anything that Caroline cooked. It had taken him weeks to get the prosecutor to give him the recipe and Brennan was following the instructions precisely.

Since their hosts were clearly too busy to chat, Sweets led his girlfriend to the man cave in the basement. Daisy wasn't that much of a sports enthusiast, but she did admire Booth's collection of memorabilia. "This is what I would have expected to see in Agent Booth's house. He's very alpha male."

Not sure if Daisy had a little crush on Booth or not, Sweet reminded her that the agent was taken. "Yes, Dr. Brennan says he plays hockey and he's quite good. She goes to most of his games."

Amused, Daisy kissed her Lancelot. "Don't worry Lance, I'm not interested in anyone but you."

"Of course." Sweets returned her kiss only to turn that kiss into a frantic motion of arms and legs as they sank down on Booth's couch. As hands roamed and lips did too a sudden noise near the door in the backwall caused the couple to scramble to their feet, tugging on clothes and fingers combing through hair.

Amused, Max crossed his arms against his chest. "How do you think Booth would react if he found you two doing that on his couch?" He knew exactly how Booth would react and he was pretty sure the couple did too.

His cheeks scarlet, Sweets stammered. "Oh, we ah . . . we were just admiring Booth's stuff . . . um, yeah . . . we're going to go back upstairs."

"You do that." Max shook his head. As he watched the couple hurry up the stairs, he laughed. "You forgot to thank me for saving your lives . . . Oh well."

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After a delicious dinner was eaten, wine drunk and desserts forced down into almost full stomachs, the guests gathered into the living room where presents were exchanged. Hank had expected a present from his grandson and his girlfriend, but was shocked when he found that every guest had also given him a present. They had each given him gift cards to various restaurants and Hank was touched. "Thank you. I . . . I don't have a present for anyone, but Seeley and Temperance."

Caroline waved her hand. "Never you mind. It's the thought that counts Cher'." She had enjoyed the gathering and was feeling mellow. "Booth . . . Dr. Brennan the rice dressing was c'est bon. It was nice to eat rice dressing and not have to make it myself. Merci bien."

"You're welcome, Caroline." Booth had loved the rice dressing and he appreciated that Brennan had done such an excellent job recreating it. "Thanks for giving me the recipe. Bones and I know it's a family secret." He turned to Brennan. "It was really good Bones. Thanks."

Pleased that the recipe had been a success, Brennan smiled. "You're welcome." She was certain she could tweak it and make into a vegetarian dish if she tried and she would try.

Cam noticed the time and nudged, Michele. "We have to go home. Thank you for a wonderful dinner." As they stood up, they gathered their presents and went in search of their coats.

Hodgins and Angela realized that it was getting late, but didn't want to leave Booth and Brennan with the dishes and kitchen clean up. "Let's go tackle the kitchen before we leave." Angela agreed, stood up and moved towards the kitchen.

"Don't worry about it." Booth stood up and stopped his guests. "Bones and I can handle it. We cleaned as we cooked, so What's left is no big deal "

He appreciated the offer and so did Brennan. "Booth is right. There are only a few pots to clean and the dishwasher will take care of the rest." She had enjoyed their company and she didn't want them to feel obligated to stay and clean.

Hesitating, Hodgins finally nodded his head. "Thanks for inviting us over. The food was great and thank you for the gift card." The gift card had been for a garden shop in the area. He planned to use that card to buy some lemon grass in the spring, plant them in large pots and place them near outside doors and the garage. The plant was an excellent natural form of mosquito repellent.

"You're welcome." Brennan considered Hodgins and Angela very easy to buy for. Art supplies had been easy to find and Angela had appreciated the new brushes and canvasses.

Sweets and Daisy decided that it was time to leave, thanked their hosts, found their coats and left.

Once the guests were gone, Hank retired to his room and Max and Margaret went down to the man cave to watch some Christmas movies.

The house now quiet. Booth pulled Brennan into his arms and kissed her. "Thanks Bones. This was great, having our friends over. It was a lot of work, but it was nice to share the holiday with our friends."

"You're welcome Booth." She placed her arms around his chest and leaned against him. "I think I like celebrating Christmas especially with you . . . It used to be a lonely time for me. I didn't really have any family and I always went on digs, so that I wasn't reminded that no one cared that I was alone during the holiday."

"Ah Bones." That sounded so sad to him. "Well, you're never going to be alone during the holidays again." He kissed her and kissed her again. "Merry Christmas Temperance."

Her lips met his lips and their kiss turned into a deep passionate gift to each other. Once they separated, Brennan laughed. "Merry Christmas Booth. I think after we finish in the kitchen we should go to bed. Don't you?"

"Definitely." Booth smiled. "That is exactly what I was thinking."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	77. Chapter 77

(The Proof in the Pudding)

Thank you for your continued interest in my story. It's sad that Bones is no longer on Fox, but it was a great show and there are still those of us interested in the fandom.

I don't own Bones.

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He sat in the break room, his head resting on his hands. It had been a long night and it was looking more than likely that the skeleton that the 'men in black' had delivered might be the remains of President John F. Kennedy. If it was him, then his world would be forever altered and not in a good way.

Brennan and her team had proved that whoever the victim was had been shot twice in the head from two different angles. The official story said that the President had been shot once by Lee Harvey Oswald. Two shooters, two murderers. Had the president been murdered by one assassin or by two men, snipers like himself?

He had always relied on the fact that he could do his job because he trusted the government. He trusted them when they told him he had to kill someone because they were evil men who were killing innocent people, but what if his government was capable of lying about the important things. If President Kennedy had been killed by two shooters and the government chose to cover that up, then where did that leave him? Did they ask him to kill 50 men while he was in the army under false pretenses? Did they tell him what he needed to hear instead of the truth? If they had lied to him and he had killed those men because of those lies, did that make him a murderer? Was he a patriot or an assassin? Was his soul forever stained? Would God forgive him if what he had done had been done under false pretenses?

She found him and his body language spoke loudly to her. He was sad, upset, worried and she understood why. Cam had explained to her the ramifications of what a government coverup of the murder of the president would mean to Booth. Her mate's world could be falling apart and if it did, was it possible she could lose him? "Booth, I think I can prove whether or not the victim is President Kennedy. I need your help. I need time to do a test on one of the bones and I can't do it if Mr. White takes the remains away. Will you help me?"

Desperate for answers, Booth stood up and assured her he could. "I need to know Bones. I need to know if that man on the platform is the President. If it is . . . if he is . . . I'll help you."

"Thank you." Brennan was worried about him. He was a very religious man and very patriotic. He loved God and he loved his country. If Booth found out that the government might have used him in the past, then he might not be able to live with that. He might fade away from her. "I just need time and I will be able to give you your answer."

"Okay." Booth moved over to the railing and peered down at the strangers spaced out in the area below. "Time for me to get to work. You need answers and so do I."

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Booth didn't understand the test used on the bones, but Brennan had assured him that she had proved that the victim was not President Kennedy. She had laid two bones on the surface of a vat of pudding. One sank and the other did not. "The heavy bone is healthy. The one still floating is riddled with osteomyelitis. President Kennedy never had osteomyelitis."

Relieved, Booth had pulled her into his arms and held her against his body. "Thank you . . . you kept looking for me. You knew I had to know and . . . thank you."

She knew that he was now assured that his skills as a Ranger had not been misused. He had not been misused by his government. "You are a good man, Booth. Never doubt that."

"Because of you, Bones." Booth kissed her. "You help me be the man I want to be."

Brennan had never felt such love and kindness from anyone until she had met Booth. He had helped her through rough days and he had helped her connect to her father and brother. "You help me too, Booth. We help each other."

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Mr. White had made it clear that he and his men didn't want to show up in any reports. It was important they weren't mentioned in either Lab or FBI reports. He and his men had been given an assignment. It hadn't really gone as planned, but dealing with scientists and a world class sniper had proven to be harder than he or his bosses had counted on. Everyone they had dealt with at the Lab had gone out of their way to be uncooperative and independent. "No reports will be written about what happened tonight because nothing happened. I hope I'm being clear."

He was being very clear and those sitting at the table agreed. Whoever the victim had been would always be a secret, but perhaps not to some. Like Brennan and Cam, Hodgins had a lot of theories about what had happened, but he kept them to himself. He was sure that they had been used as a trial run for something the government had been considering and Mr. White had not liked the result. If he didn't like it then it was certain his bosses wouldn't either. The scientist had a lot of connections in government and in business and he knew that it would be wiser for everyone to just pretend that nothing had happened. It was safer that was for sure.

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It had been a long day and night. After they had eaten breakfast at the diner, Booth and Brennan had driven home, crashed on their bed and slept for most of the day. After sleeping soundly for seven hours, Booth had risen quietly from his bed and left the room. Moving into the kitchen, he started a pot of coffee, gathered some ingredients together and started a vegetable soup in a crock pot. Nibbling on some apple butter slathered toast, he made sure the soup was simmering when he left the room and made his way down to the man cave. After he turned on the television, he lowered the volume so there was no chance Brennan would hear it upstairs. He wanted her to sleep for as long as possible.

Using the remote, he moved through the channels until he found a golf match playing on the Golf Channel and settled against the corner of the couch. He never slept long hours no matter how tired he was and he knew if he planned to sleep later that evening, he had to be awake now.

As he watched someone miss a two foot putt, he started to think about his role as a sniper in the Army and in the FBI. He was good at what he did. The fact was, there were probably only three men in the country who were close to being as good as he was. Being a sniper was difficult even though he was the best because with it came a great deal of responsibility. Throughout his career he had found that after every kill was complete he would agonize over what he had done. He did his job, but the killing weighed on him. The previous evening, his whole career had been called into question and he hadn't liked it. What he did was important, but he knew that tomorrow, he would make it known to Deputy Director Bishop, that he could no longer be used as a sniper. He would do his job and he would use his gun if and when it was needed, but he could no longer be a sniper. There were too many bodies on his cosmic sheet and he knew that he would have to answer to God for them some day. He just hoped that all the good he had done as an FBI Agent would negate the deaths he had caused.

"Booth." Her voice was soft as if she wasn't sure if she should disturb him or not. "Are you alright?"

Moving so that he faced her, Booth smiled at her. "Yeah, you know I can't sleep a lot. I hope I didn't wake you. I tried to be quiet."

"No, the smell of the soup you have cooking in the kitchen woke me up. It smells delicious." She moved further into the room and stood near the couch. "The skeleton we examined today has you worried, but you shouldn't be. I proved that he wasn't the President. We don't know who he was, but he wasn't President Kennedy."

He reached up and took he hand in his hand. "I know . . . I'm going to talk to Bishop tomorrow. I can't be a sniper anymore. I can shoot when I need to. I'll make sure to keep up my skills, but I can't be a sniper. I just can't do it anymore."

"I know." She had watched him during the night and she had known that he was having a crisis. Cam had helped her understand what was going on and she had been horrified when she realized that Booth was questioning his past. "It's understandable. You've done so much for your country and I think it's enough."

Glad that she understood, he smiled. "Thanks and thank you for what you did last night. You were forced to do a job and you did it. I know you didn't like it, but you were professional all the way. I'm very proud of you."

"You are?" She hadn't really considered what she had done as anything special, but maybe it was. "Being kidnapped by officials of your own government is quite disconcerting, but we all agreed that it would do no harm doing the requested tests . . . Of course, Dr. Hodgins didn't want to comply, but he realized that all he could do was protest then do his job . . . I was glad when you found a way to get into the Lab. I think I felt that we were safer with you there."

Proud that Brennan felt that way, Booth pulled her down onto his lap. "You weren't really in any danger and I knew that you could take care of yourself, but I didn't like the idea of Mr. White keeping me away from the Lab. The squints belong to me . . . that includes you, by the way." He expected her to protest, but she didn't. "It's my duty to take care of them and you when I can."

"It works both ways, Booth. You belong to me too and it is my duty to take care of you when you need it." She was in a relationship that meant a lot to her and she knew it meant a lot to Booth. "We have a great partnership."

"We do, Bones. We really do."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	78. Chapter 78

(The Bones on the Blue Line)

Thank you for reviewing my story. It is the only way I can tell if you are still interested in my story.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

He hated dealing with lawyers, but Booth knew that in this case he couldn't avoid it. Brennan had found a lawyer through her publisher. The publisher had recommended Kelsey Goodrum because she had a solid reputation and the publishing company had done business with her before. Brennan was confident that the lawyer would get Booth the help he needed in his case against Rebecca Stinson. He just worried that it might blow up in his face, but he knew he had to follow through. If he didn't then Rebecca would think he was all hot air and that he would bend to her will whenever she needed him to. He couldn't do that anymore. He'd had enough.

They sat in a conference room. On one side of the table, Rebecca and her lawyer sat facing Booth, Brennan and their lawyer on the other side of the table. "This is ridiculous, Seeley. You have no right to do this."

Attorney Kelsey Goodrum cleared her throat and clasped her hands together on top of the table before her. "That is where you are wrong, Ms. Stinson. Mr. Booth would like to formalize his parental rights. I am here to ensure that happens."

Furious, Rebecca folded her arms against her chest. "I will not give up custody of my son. I've been his legal guardian since he was born. Seeley will not take him from me."

Exasperated with his ex, Booth sighed. "No one said anything about taking Parker away from you Rebecca. You never listen to a thing I say. I just want my parental rights formalized. I'm not taking our son from you. That was never my intention and it still isn't."

Attorney Clark Abbott appeared to be puzzled. "I was led to believe that this was a custody case."

Goodrum shook her head. "It is not. My client merely wishes to formalize his rights in regard to his son. He has been paying child support since the child was born. He has taken care of the boy two weekends a month since the child was four months old. Mr. Booth would like to make sure he has formal visitation rights. Too many times in the past, he has been denied visitations with his son because Ms. Stinson didn't want the boy to see him. A case in point, they have had an agreement for years that Mr. Booth gets to visit with Parker Booth during Christmas. The last two Christmases he was denied that visit because Ms. Stinson wanted to take the boy skiing."

"For God's sake, taking Parker skiing wasn't punishing Seeley." She shook her head while glaring at her ex. "Last year it was to give Parker a treat and this year it was because my father is sick and he paid to have his entire family go to Switzerland for a reunion. This might be his last Christmas with the family and he wanted his grandson there."

Abbot placed his hand on Rebecca's arm and shook his head. "What exactly does Mr. Booth have in mind?"

Her attention now on the opposing lawyer, Goodrum passed a folder over to Abbot. "Like I said earlier, Mr. Booth would like to formalize his visiting rights. Three weekends a month and they can't be cancelled unless the agreement is mutual. He would like Parker to stay with him Christmas week and at least one month during the child's Summer break. Clearly, he isn't asking for much. He just wants to spend time with his son and he doesn't want his visits to be taken away from him on a whim or because Ms. Stinson is angry with my client over something."

Surprised, Rebecca leaned over and looked at the sheet inside the folder while her lawyer looked at it. "You don't want to take Parker from me?"

"Of course not." Booth glanced at Brennan and then back at Rebecca. "I never did. A boy needs his mother. He needs you Rebecca. I just want to see my son while he's still young. Someday he's going to be a man and he's going to be living his own life and he won't have time for me or you. I want to be his father while I still can and I can't worry about you deciding that I don't need to see my son because you want to go skiing or for some other reason. I want a schedule and I want that schedule to be formalized, so that you can't change it when you want to."

Rebecca stared at the sheet once more and thought about her options. "What if I say I don't want to give you what you want?"

"Then we will see you in court." Goodrum stared at Rebecca trying to determine if the woman was serious. "He is just asking that the you recognize his visitation rights. There is nothing drastic in his petition. The only thing he added was the one month during the summer and the extra weekend during the month. Mr. Booth is a decorated War Veteran and an FBI Agent. He and his partner own a house in a very good neighborhood. He is in a stable relationship with a world famous anthropologist and author. They are both pillars of their community. You don't really think a judge would refuse these terms do you? They are modest terms after all. You will just be wasting your time and the time of my clients, not to mention taking a risk of losing more once we are in front of a judge. You know how some judges are. We just may get one that thinks Mr. Booth isn't asking for enough. You're a lawyer Ms. Stinton. I'm sure you've seen that happen yourself. I know I have."

She had one more ace up her sleeve. "What about Seeley's brain tumor? You don't think a judge would grant him this wish list if we went into court and talked about the tumor would you?"

Brennan couldn't remain silent. "The brain tumor was removed successfully. The surgeon is confident it will not return . . . Booth is being checked once a year to make sure all is well. I don't think mentioning the tumor will help you with your case if you wish to contest this . . . I have a question for you, Rebecca. Booth is in fine health now, but if his tumor did return, would you take him to court to separate his son from him. Would you risk Booth dying and Parker never seeing his father again? Do you think Parker would forgive you for being so callous?"

He loved her coming to his defense, but Booth thought she had gone far enough. Placing his hand on Brennan's hand, he squeezed it gently and smiled at her. "It's alright, Bones. Rebecca is just bluffing."

She was bluffing and she knew it had been futile to mention it, but she was unhappy with Booth's sudden interest in legal documents and rights. She was certain it was all due to Brennan's influence and there was nothing she could do about it. Rebecca also knew that she couldn't really separate her son from his father. The boy adored Seeley Booth and he would never forgive her if she did anything to ruin his relationship with his father. She wasn't that foolish. She loved her son so much and his happiness was very important to her. "Fine, those terms are acceptable, but I will hold you to the letter of the terms. There will be no deviation from it . . . Two can play that game Seeley."

"This isn't a game, Rebecca." Booth thanked God that she had turned him down years ago when he had asked her to marry him. He was certain that the marriage would have ended in divorce. "My son's life is not a game and neither is mine."

The meeting was over as far as Rebecca was concerned. Turning to her lawyer she nodded her head. "The terms are acceptable. Make sure you dot every I and cross every T. I don't want any misunderstandings in the future."

Abbot smiled at Booth. "We'll sign these and have them notarized. They should be in your hand no later than tomorrow."

A little shocked that he had won, Booth watched as Abbot and Rebecca left the room. After he had a few words with his lawyer, he and Brennan left the room. "God, Bones. I can't believe this. I actually won. She's not taking me to court."

Pleased that it had gone so well, Brennan held her boyfriend's hand as they walked down the hallway. "I'm happy for you, Booth. We'll have to plan for a vacation in the summer with Parker. We should research fun activities and find a destination that he will enjoy."

Booth stopped causing Brennan to stop. "Bones, thank you. You've been on my side from day one and I really appreciate it. Parker loves you and I know you love him. I guess I'm the luckiest man alive." He kissed her and liked that she kissed back. "Let's go home. Maybe we can celebrate."

"I think a celebration is in order." Brennan had been very pleased with the lawyer she had hired and the outcome had been what she had hoped for. Her family was intact and that was important to her. She considered Parker to be her step-son and she wanted him to be a big part of her life. She was in love with the boy's father and she wanted him to be happy. She knew that at this moment, Booth was very happy and so was she.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	79. Chapter 79

(The Parts in the Sum of the Whole)

A/N: Remember this story is AU.

I don't own Bones.

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She sat in her office and stared at the gift box sitting on her desk. Brennan had noticed it when she had first entered her office and had checked the tag taped to the box to see who it was from. The tag had been unhelpful since it just had a tiny hand drawn picture of a plane on it. A little annoyed, she picked up the box, shook it gently then placed it down on the desk again.

Angela entered the office and stopped when she noticed her friend poking a gift wrapped box on her desk. "Gifts, I love gifts. Whose it from?" Moving closer to the desk, she picked it up and read the tag. "Do you have some hot pilot on the side? Better not let Booth know."

Brennan did not find the joke amusing in the least. "I am not seeing anyone, but Booth, Angela. I am in a serious relationship with him and I will not risk damaging that relationship by having an affair with someone else."

"Alright Honey, I was just kidding." Placing the box back on the desk, Angela sat down on the chair facing her friend. "Aren't you going to open it?"

Hesitating, Brennan picked up the box and held it in her hand. "I don't know if I should. If this is a bribe by someone to try to get me into bed with them, then they will be sorely disappointed. I cannot be bought with trinkets and of course Booth would not appreciate it if he found out . . . It would probably be a better idea if I take it home and open it there in front of Booth. I am committed to having an open and honest relationship with Booth and I will not hide things like this from him."

"Honey, if someone is trying to get into your pants and I really hope that isn't true . . . well, Booth might try to rip their heart out of their chest if he finds out who it is." Angela thought it was a terrible idea to let Booth see the gift. The man was crazy in love with Brennan and he wouldn't take kindly to poachers. "Just open it here and let's see what it is."

Reluctantly, Brennan tore the wrapping off the box and opened it. Inside she found a hand blown glass airplane wrapped in bubble wrap. It was a beautiful shade of rose and the plane was representative of a prop plane. "Well, this is annoying. No message and why send me a glass plane?"

A little confused herself, Angela crossed her legs and leaned back against her chair. "It's pretty. Maybe Booth sent it after all. I mean everyone here knows that you're living with Booth, so I don't really see anyone else giving you a present." _I hope to hell this is from Booth._

"I would think he'd sign the card if he did." Brennan thought the plane was beautiful, but she wasn't sure she should keep it. "I'll leave it here. Perhaps my secret admirer will come forward and I will let him know that I am not interested in him and give the gift back."

The whole thing was weird as far as Angela was concerned. "Well, whoever gave it to you has access to the Lab. Booth was here earlier this morning when he brought you to work, but I haven't seen him since. I think you're right. Just leave it here. Someone is bound to say something sooner or later."

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They ate lunch at the Royal Diner and she didn't mention the gift he had left on her desk. Booth wasn't sure why Brennan wasn't talking about his gift and started to worry that she hated it. He had found the glass plane in an antique store the previous Saturday when he was looking for some old sports memorabilia for his man cave. He hadn't found anything he was interested in, but as he was leaving the store, the little plane had caught his eye. It reminded him of that fact he had first met Brennan in an airport and how his life had been changed for the better knowing her. He wanted to give her something nice and he thought the plane would be pretty sitting next to the glass daffodil he had already given her. Since she didn't mention it, he assumed she didn't want to hurt his feelings. _God, I hope she didn't give it away or throw it away. That plane cost me 50 bucks. "_ So, Bones, anything interesting happen at work this morning?" He wasn't fishing for a compliment. He just wanted to know if she got the present.

"No, not really." Brennan sipped her ice tea. "I did identify one of the skeletons in Bones Storage. He was an American soldier stationed in the Philippines during the Japanese invasion. Corporal Jeb Winters' family will be notified this afternoon."

No mention of the plane. Booth wasn't sure what was wrong with his present, but he'd try to be more romantic the next time he bought her a present. She'd loved the daffodil, so at least he got that one right. "That's good . . . How about we go out tonight. Dinner and a little dancing. How about it?"

"It's Wednesday, Booth. We usually don't go out dancing in the middle of the week." She wasn't against the idea, she just thought it was odd.

"It's our anniversary, Bones." Booth didn't really expect her to keep track of things like that. He was the romantic one in the relationship and that was fine. "We became a couple four years ago. I thought we could eat out and go to that jazz club you like. I know it's short notice. We can do it Friday night if you want to wait."

She hadn't paid attention to the date and was frustrated that Booth had to remind her that the day was important to him. "I'm sorry, Booth. Of course, we can go out dancing. I'll let Cam know I'm leaving a little early and I'll meet you at home around five."

Pleased that she had agreed to his impromptu plan, Booth placed his hand on her hand. "Thanks. It'll be fun. You'll see." _I need to find another gift._

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They had a wonderful evening dancing and got home later than usual. After Booth made sure the house was locked up, he joined Brennan in the bedroom and found her dressed in a light green satin night gown. It showed off her curves which Booth loved so much. "Wow, that's new." He moved closer and placed his hands low on her hips. "You look so beautiful, Bones." Kissing her, he pulled her closer against his body. After their passionate kiss forced them to separate to catch their breath, Booth fingered the left strap of her gown. "Very nice."

Brennan smiled. "This is my present to you. I know you like to see me in this kind of costume just before we make love."

Amused, Booth wiggled his eyebrows. "Just before I take it off of you. Thanks for the present. I love it." He kissed her once more then pulled away so he could undress. "I promise to buy you a better present than the one I gave you today . . . I wanted to buy you something else this afternoon, but I had that meeting with Bishop and I couldn't leave."

Surprised, Brennan sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Booth unbutton his shirt. "That gift on my desk was from you?"

Her tone of voice was odd. "Well, sure. Who'd you think sent it to you?" He paused unbuttoning the last button and stared at her.

"I didn't know who sent it to me. The tag wasn't signed." Brennan was annoyed. "Why didn't you sign it? What did the little airplane mean? Did you draw that because that was what was in the box?"

His gaze on the last button as he unfastened it, Booth tried to be patient. "We met in an airport. I just thought it would be nice to remind you that we've known each other for a long time and . . . I thought it'd make you smile . . . I guess not." He draped his shirt on the chair near the closet. "Don't worry about it. I was just being sentimental that's all." He was disappointed that she didn't understand his gift, but he hadn't fallen in love with a sentimental woman. He loved her brilliant brain and that big heart of hers. Sitting on the chair, he removed his shoes and socks. "Like I said, I'll get you something else."

"You should have signed it, Booth." Brennan was embarrassed. Of course, Booth had sent her the present. "I didn't understand what the plane represented . . . It was a nice present. It is a nice present."

She was upset and he knew that he had made a mistake not giving her the present in person. "Look, Bones, this is my fault. You're right, I should have signed it." This is not what he had wanted to happen. She was embarrassed and a little angry. "Bones you're involved with a romantic fool, okay? I wasn't trying to be mysterious and I wasn't trying to embarrass you. I wanted to give you something nice and . . . I didn't do it right. You didn't do anything wrong. You can't read minds and you didn't know I sent it. It's okay. Let's just forget about it."

"No, I won't." She stood up and move over to where her lover was sitting. Kneeling she placed her hands on his knees. "I'm not romantic, Booth. I wish I was. I don't remember dates like anniversaries and I don't . . ."

Booth captured her wrists with his hands. "Stop . . . just stop. I don't care if you don't keep track of anniversaries, okay? I'll keep track of them for us. I don't care if you aren't whimsical or romantic. I fell in love with you because of who you are. I don't expect you to change that. Just let me keep track of the small stuff like today. We both don't have to do it."

"But it wasn't a small thing, was it?" She loved Booth so much, but she was afraid she didn't show it enough. "I have a tendency to overlook sentimental holidays. I . . . It's not because I don't care. I do. I just don't think of them."

He leaned forward and rested his forehead against her forehead. "Hey, I said stop it. You didn't do anything wrong. I don't want you to worry about stuff like this. From now on, when I send you a gift I plan to make sure my name is on it. It's okay . . . Did you like the plane? Was it okay?" He was still worried that she hated his present.

"I think it's beautiful, Booth. Thank you." She just wished she had remembered that this day was important to Booth. She would place it on her calendar, so that she would never forget again. "It will look nice on the shelf next to the glass daffodil."

"Right?" She liked it and that was a relief. "I thought so too." He placed the palm of his hand on the side of her face. "You deserve nice things, Bones. You make me so happy and meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

She smiled and stood up. "You make me happy too, Booth." She stepped back and pulled her gown over her head, dropping it on the floor at her feet. Moving over to the bed, she glanced back. "You make me very happy."

His eyes feasting on her body, Booth stood up and slid his pant and boxers down his legs. "I have another present for you Bones." He stepped out of his pants and boxers and followed her over to the bed. "I think you'll like this one for sure."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	80. Chapter 80

(The Death of the Queen Bee)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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Brennan's classmates infuriated Booth. Their little sarcastic remarks and snideness about her social awkwardness and her creepiness made him want to strike out and hit someone. And when he heard them call her Morticia, their nickname for her, it just made him want revenge. He knew that Brennan was hurt by her classmates' callousness even if she pretended to him that she didn't care, but he could see it in her face. He cared and he was going to do something about it. He had struggled to think of a way to put them in their place and he saw a way after Julia Coyle had flirted with him as well as Sheriff Becky Conway.

Booth knew he was good looking and because of it, he was the object of flirting all the time. As a rule, he ignored it unless it got aggressive then he usually informed the person doing the flirting that he was taken. As a rule, that stopped it for good. Glares by Brennan if she was around being another way to stop it. Those were Booth's favorite moments. Who didn't like it when the one they loved showed a streak of jealousy? God knew he was guilty of that too.

They arrived at the school gym where the reunion was being held and Booth immediately grasped his girlfriend's hand as they entered. Brennan was used to Booth wanting to hold her hand occasionally when they walked, so she wasn't surprised this time. She glanced at him and smiled appreciating his company. She hadn't really wanted to come to the reunion, but they were investigating a murder and apparently it was tied to a murder that occurred when she was in high school. She just hoped they solved this one quickly so she could leave Burtonsville. The place had too many bad connotations and she had never planned to come back. Her job forced her to confront her past and she had found it just as unpleasant as she remembered it.

Determined to show Brennan's classmates that they were a bunch of classless bums, he decided to show as much attention to her as possible. Of course, Booth still had to investigate a murder, so he knew that was going to be tricky. He considered himself a pretty good actor, so he was sure that he could play the attentive boyfriend to the hilt and still do his job. He also decided not to tell Brennan what he was up to. She deserved to be treated with respect and like a queen and he didn't want her to think he was just being attentive because he was acting. He loved her and he wanted to erase the bad memories she had about her high school experience. He knew that wasn't really possible, but he could replace some of the memories with better ones.

"Bones you want some punch and cake?" He pointed at the food laden table and smiled. "Grab a table and we'll keep an eye on these characters while we have some dessert."

Brennan wasn't really hungry, but she understood that Booth wanted a central table that they could use it as an observation post. "Yes, of course." While he retrieved some cake and punch she commandeered a table across from the stage. It had the advantage of being in the center and it gave them a strategic view of the entire gym. As she sat down, one of her former classmates walked over to the table and leaned on the empty chair. "So, you decided to come? I'd have thought a hot shot author like you would wouldn't want to slum with us peons."

Not sure what his last sentence meant, Brennan assumed it was a crack about how famous and wealthy she was. "Wasn't everyone in our class invited? Was there an exception for famous authors?"

Not sure what to say, Bill Keppler shook his head. "You weren't too much when you were a kid you know? A foster kid . . . no parents, no boyfriends. You were a looker, but still most of us knew who you were . . . what you were."

"What? Brilliant, intelligent, beautiful, a woman with a bright future?" Booth moved around Bill and placed the cake and punch on the table. Once that was done, he faced Brennan's classmate. "Listen Sport . . . what do you do for a living?"

"I sell insurance." Bill was proud of the fact that he had his own agency. "I'm the top seller in this district."

Amused, Booth moved the empty chair away from the table and smiled. "Considering Burtonsville is the county seat doesn't say very much does it? Dr. Brennan is the best anthropologist in the world. The world. Get that?"

Sniffing, Bill shook his head. "So what? This is America. We don't bow to anyone. No one is better than me not even her."

Brennan pulled her piece of cake towards her. "Perhaps not and yet you were bragging about being the best at selling insurance. If you were trying to impress me, you were not successful. I do have more money than you do . . . You see I can brag too." Booth had told her to bring up how successful she was to her classmates, but she wasn't sure how. "If that doesn't impress you perhaps the fact that I work at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington D.C. might sound more impressive because it is."

Just to make sure that Bill understood his position in life, Booth took a step closer to the fellow. "Maybe this will impress you, the Egyptian government awarded Temperance a medal for work she did for their government and they threw a huge party for her at the Jeffersonian. The Vice President of our country showed up to honor her too. Pretty cool, right?"

Since there was no way he could top anything Brennan had done, Bill growled. "So what? Who cares?"

Booth sat down and placed his hand over Brennan's hand. "I do. She's perfect. Just perfect."

Disgusted, Bill stalked away. "I hate fucking reunions."

Just to make sure that her classmates understood what a prize Brennan was, Booth pulled her hand up and kissed it. "Bones, you make me so proud."

Flattered, Brennan smiled. "Thank you. You make me proud too." When her partner released her hand, she picked up her fork. "Bill was the captain of the football team. He never liked me."

"Bill was an idiot. He's probably a big fish in this ridiculous little pond." Booth spoke loud enough for nearby classmates to hear him. "Well, he can stay here and think a lot of himself, but we both know who the real success of Burtonsville High School is. You're the star here, Bones."

She agreed, but decided to show a modicum of modesty. Angela had told her in the past that it was the right thing to do when dealing with people that weren't as famous as she was. "I don't know about being a star, but I am the best anthropologist here and I have sold a lot of books."

He laughed. Booth loved Brennan's lack of modesty. He knew she wasn't joking or trying to be witty. She was merely stating a fact and that made it priceless. "You are indeed."

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As a rule, when they danced in public, Booth tried to be modest in how he held Brennan near him. He believed in respect for himself and for others, but Brennan's classmates were so obnoxious and certain that they were better than his girlfriend despite her success that he wanted to be sure that they knew that she was loved and adored. Once they were on the dance floor and a slow song began, Booth pulled her against his body and made sure his hands hovered over her hips. They moved slowly and Booth kissed her more than once, pleased to see Brennan's smiles. "Maybe we should go to my reunion sometime."

Her arms around Booth's back, her head resting on his shoulder, Brennan enjoyed their dance. "Perhaps we should." As the evening had progressed, Brennan had heard less snide comments from her classmates and eventually they had stopped talking to her. That had been fine with her. Her colleagues at the Lab were working diligently to point them to the murderer and she knew it was just a matter of time before they could wrap up their case and leave. "Even though we are working, I have enjoyed my reunion. I didn't go to my prom . . . No one asked me."

His anger spiking, Booth glanced around at the dancers on the floor and realized that he needed to keep his temper in check. "Yeah, well, this school is shit, Bones. They didn't know class when they saw it, but I do." He kissed her and she returned the kiss. Though soft and gentle, many of Brennan's classmates realized that the man that she was with loved her very much and not all of them could say they had the same luck in life.

Brennan's phone rang and interrupted their moment. Once the call was done, Brennan spoke into Booth's ear. "A metal star like the ones dangling overheard was the murder weapon." That was all they needed to close the case. Soon Julia Coyle was under arrest for murder and Brennan could finally leave Burtonsville.

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Unpacking their clothes, Booth carried their dirty clothes to the laundry room, started a load of white clothes and came back into the bedroom with a bottle of beer for himself and his girlfriend. Once she had her bottle, he sat on the chair near the closet and uncapped his bottle. "I'm sorry you had to go to a school like that Bones."

"I was a foster kid and most kids with families don't like foster kids. They consider them to be trash." Her time in foster care had given her a view of what society was like when you were defenseless and unloved. "I learned that I had to work hard if I wanted to get what I wanted since there was no one that would help me. I think it made me more competitive and willing to take risks . . . I had no intention of ever going back, but perhaps it's a good thing I did. My classmates got to see that just because someone is a foster child doesn't mean they will grow up to be losers."

"Well, you showed them that's for sure." Booth had hated every one of Brennan's classmates. "It killed them that you're famous and that you're the best in your field. You had the best revenge and I loved it."

She didn't want to admit it, but she loved it too. "It seems petty, but I loved it too. They were terrible classmates and I'm glad to be away from Burtonsville. I never plan to go back. They are the past. I have a good life, friends and family and I have you. I am very successful."

Booth sipped his beer and placed the bottle on his lap. "Tops in your field, famous author and you have the best boyfriend. You made it to the big time Bones." He was teasing her, but he also meant every word. Brennan had overcome a bad childhood and she was the finest person he had ever known. "You deserve everything that you've got because you worked hard for it. No one handed you anything. You did it on your own and that is so in your face to all those losers that didn't want to help you when you needed the help . . . You made your own family and we all love you."

She was proud of her accomplishments, but she loved the fact that she did have a family. "You are my family Booth. You showed me that love was possible and you didn't ask me to change anything about myself to get your love. You made me part of your family and I made you part of mine. You've helped me more than you might realize. Your love has helped me understand that I can trust you and that was no small accomplishment. You will always be my family. Always."

Filled with pride and love, Booth raised his beer bottle. "Here's to us and to hell with Burtonsville High School."

"To hell with Burtonsville High School." Brennan opened her bottle of beer and swallowed some of it. "And to hell with my classmates . . . Of course, I don't really believe in hell, but I do like the sentiment very much."

He laughed. He loved her honest to God quirky sense of humor.

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	81. Chapter 81

(The Boy with the Answer)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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The trial had been Brennan's worst nightmare. A brilliant defendant with a high IQ and no social conscious. Taffet had kidnapped adults and children in a bid to obtain money from loved ones desperate to get their family members back. Some of those victims had died because their family couldn't come up with the money in time. She was a great lawyer and her abilities in the courtroom had never been questioned. They had all had to work hard to convict the Gravedigger and Caroline had proven why she was considered one of the best prosecutors in the District.

"I'm so tired, Booth." She had never felt like this before. Normally, once a trial was over, she could overlook the courtroom antics, the lying, the innuendo, but Taffet had targeted her during the trial, trying to undermine her confidence and the Gravedigger had succeeded. "I'm tired of working on murders, testifying in trials, confronting lawyers who try to make the jury believe that science shouldn't be trusted. I'm tired of worrying about whether or not a murderer is going to walk free because most people on juries have no idea how real science works and let themselves be swayed by someone with charm and a sense of humor. Taffet could have easily got away with murder, Booth . . . she tried to kill you and me and Hodgins. She almost separated us permanently . . . I'm just so tired."

It worried him during the trial that Brennan had been targeted during the trial, not because she had been the weakest link, but because she was the strongest one. Taffet had known that if she could destroy Brennan's confidence, she could convince the jury that the trial had been a vendetta and that she was innocent. During the trial, Booth had tried to backup everyone and he had been surprised that Brennan had been the one he had to worry the most about. Taffet had used psychology against Brennan and it had almost worked and that infuriated and worried Booth. "Look Bones, this trial was rough I know that. I think we need to get away. Go somewhere quiet and recharge our batteries. Remember that cabin I told you about? The one my friend owns? I talked to him yesterday and he says we can use it right now. We can drive up to Pennsylvania, stay for a week and just get this trial out of our system."

She didn't know what she wanted to do, but getting away might help her decide what she wanted to do about her future. She needed to think about what she wanted in life and whether working for the FBI should be part of it. "Alright. We can go at the end of the week. I have a few things I need to finish and I'm sure you'll need to do the same . . . what about Parker? He's supposed to be with us next weekend."

"We can take him with us." He hoped he was making the right decision. "The cabin has two bedrooms, so it should be okay. The place isn't too rustic. There are solar panels on the roof, so we'll have some electricity. Bob says there's a fridge and the stove works on propane. I have to bring up a propane tank and hook it up, but we should be comfortable. . . Oh and it has a compost toilet, whatever the hell that is. The weather is nice and Bob says there's a small lake near the cabin. We can walk there in about fifteen minutes."

"It sounds nice, Booth." She needed some peace. "Perhaps I can use some of the time to walk by myself. I think I need a little solitude."

"Sure, Parker and I can do stuff while you do your thing. Not a problem." He felt sad that he couldn't help his girlfriend out of her funk, but he understood the need for solitude. Sometimes he needed it himself.

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The cabin was soundly built. There were glass paned windows in each room that could be opened to allow a breeze in when needed. Each window was screened to keep the bugs out. The building was surrounded by trees, but enough sunlight hit the solar panels on the roof during the day to keep the fridge going. They had electric lights in each room and portable fans were available if it got too hot. There was a propane heater that could be used if the nights got too cold, but Booth wasn't worried about that since it was late Spring. It was more than likely they would be using the fans in the afternoon, but it looked like they had chosen a good time to use the cabin.

There was a front and back porch and the propane hookups for the stove and heater were on the back porch. Booth swapped out the propane tank and left the empty one on the back porch. He'd carry it back in his truck when they left. After he had finished swapping out the tanks he scanned the backyard and noticed a picnic table sitting under a large oak tree. There was a brick outdoor grill about six feet from the table and everything was fairly neat. Bob had wired a basketball hoop on a wild cherry tree towards the back of the property and there was a brick floor laid out under the hoop to allow dribbling. There was a shed located next to the cabin that contained amongst other things, a lawn mower.

The front yard contained a gravel covered parking space for four vehicles. As soon as the luggage was hauled into the house, Booth had asked Parker to go out and pick up any sticks and branches on the ground and dump them in the wood pile next to outdoor grill. He prepared the mower and mowed the lawn while Brennan went for a walk.

Sooner than she had expected, she was far enough down the trail leading to the lake that she could no longer hear the mower. The sound of the birds flitting through the trees was delightful and a few squirrels barked at her letting their fellows know that there was a stranger amongst them. After fifteen minutes of casual walking, she found the lake and thought it was picturesque. Much to her delight, there was a small pavilion next to the lake. Under the roof, she found four wooden chairs and a large plastic box in a corner. When she opened it, she found chair cushions, a container of wipes and a plastic bag filled with beach towels. Taking one of the cushions, she placed it on the chair facing the lake and sat down.

The sunlight dappled on the water and occasionally a fish would break the surface of the water attacking insects. There was a cool breeze coming from across the lake and she felt comfortable as she enjoyed the quiet retreat.

Booth finished mowing the yard, put the mower up and went inside the cabin. Once he retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge, he walked out the front door and found Parker sitting on the porch, reading. "Hey Sport, want to play basketball?"

"Sure Dad." Placing the book in the cabin, he followed his father out into the back yard. The basketball had been in the shed with the mower and Booth had placed it on the ground under the hoop. "This place is pretty cool, but it's kind of quiet. We don't have a TV."

Leaning over and picking up the ball, Booth glanced at his son. "That's the point. We're in the woods. I don't think we could get a signal out here anyway." Throwing the ball through the basket, he let Parker run over and grab the ball. "There's some baseballs and gloves in the shed and I saw some horse shoes and a couple of spikes. My bedroom has a shelf with board games on it, so we can play those and there's a bookshelf with a bunch of paperbacks, so we can always read. We can go swimming in the lake." He watched the boy do a free throw and make it. "Hey a good one."

Bouncing the ball on the brick floor, Parker stared at it while he spoke. "What's wrong with Bones? She seems sad . . . Did she want to come up here without me? I wouldn't have minded if you wanted me to stay home."

Booth reached out and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "No Parker this isn't about you or me. The trial we just went through was pretty tough on her and she's just tired. She missed some sleep while the trial was going on and she just couldn't catch up. That's why we're up here. She needs some peace and quiet. I told her that while we're here she can have all the solitude she wants and we'll just hang out, you and me. She loves you Parker and she wants you here with us. She just needs some alone time right now."

Relieved, Parker turned and threw the ball at the hoop and missed. Running after the ball, the boy threw it at his father who made a basket. "I'll try to be quiet when she's around, Dad."

"No, that's okay." Booth appreciated that Parker wanted to help Brennan. "You be you and I'll be me. If she wants to be alone she can go for a walk or tell us to go for a walk. We'll work it out. It's okay. I brought some fishing poles, so we can go fishing. We're going to be here a week, since this is part of your summer vacation. Your Mom is letting me split it up, so we can go on vacation somewhere later this summer. In the meantime, we should be able to do some fun stuff this week. If you think of something you want to do, let me know and I'll see if we can do it."

"Thanks Dad." Parker picked up the ball that had rolled near his feet. "I'm sorry Bones is sad . . . I wish I could help her."

Booth smiled at his son. "Thanks Bud. We're here for her if she needs us. We just need to give her some space." _I wish I could help her too, but I think she doesn't want my help._ "Hey, this evening I'm going to barbeque. I think we'll have some grilled chicken and corn. How does that sound?"

"Good Dad." He thought about it for second. "Can we have a salad too?"

Surprised, Booth stared at his son and wondered where that idea had come from. "Sure."

Parker confided to his father. "Mom made me promise to eat vegetables and salad. She's worried I'll just eat junk while we're up here . . . I told her you make me eat vegetables, but I don't think she believes me."

Not really surprised, Booth shrugged his shoulders. "Your Mom is just worried about you, Parker." _As if I'd feed my son just junk food, the bitch. "_ We'll have salad every night, so you can you tell your Mom you kept your promise."

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Relaxed, Brennan walked back to the cabin and found Booth and Parker setting up the picnic table for dinner. Some delicious aromas were coming from the barbecue pit and there was a bowl of salad in the middle of the table with bottles of French and Italian dressing sitting next to the salad bowl. "It smells wonderful, Booth."

Booth turned and smiled at his girlfriend "I have chicken, zucchini and eggplant grilling and we have salad. I was going to do corn, but I don't want the eggplant to go bad since it was sitting in our fridge for a few days before we brought it with us."

"Good idea." Brennan loved grilled eggplant brushed with olive oil and a little parmesan cheese. She sat down at the table and poured a glass of tea from the pitcher sitting in front of her. "I found the lake. It's very nice. There is a pavilion next to it and there are chairs."

"Sounds great." Booth liked the sound of the pavilion. "What do you want to do tonight? We can play board games, but if you want some more solitude, Parker and I can stay out here and play while you relax in the cabin."

For some reason, Brennan suddenly felt emotional. "Booth, I'm not trying to avoid you . . . I know you think that's what I want, but it isn't. I just need some space, but not all of the time."

Booth sat down next to Brennan and placed his arm around her shoulders. "It's okay, Bones. We're up here to relax. You tell me when you want some space and we'll go with it. I want you to do what you want to do. That trial was a mess and Taffet did her best to make it about you and me, but it didn't work. She didn't fool anyone . . . She got what she deserved and that's the end of it. You want to get away from that stuff and we are. This week is about peace and quiet, space and communing with nature." Booth glanced at his son who was throwing the basketball at the hoop while he waited for dinner. "And if you want something else from me, you let me know. If you don't that's okay too."

Amused, Brennan turned and kissed Booth's cheek. "Well, if I do want something else, you're just the one I want it from . . . we are talking about sex aren't we?"

"Yes, that's what we're talking about." Booth was trying to be cautious around his son, but he was dealing with Brennan. "I just didn't want to say it loud enough for Parker to hear."

Brennan glanced at the boy. "I don't think he can hear us . . . you know he knows about sex, don't you? He told me that his mother talked to him about reproduction a few months ago."

Embarrassed, Booth blew air out from inflated cheeks. O _f course she did._ "That's fine and all, but I don't want to talk about sex around Parker. He's still a little kid."

Brennan knew that Booth had certain topics he wouldn't talk about in public and specifically around his son. "Fine, we'll talk about sex when we're alone. Perhaps we'll talk a lot about sex while we are actually having sex. We'll see."

"Okay." Booth knew he had pushed one of Brennan's buttons and she was going to tease him about it when she could. "Maybe we'll be too busy to talk about sex. Hm?"

She laughed. Her boyfriend made her laugh when she needed it and it was one of the many reasons she loved him.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	82. Chapter 82

(The Boy with the Answer)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The next day, Brennan decided to stay at the cabin and since Booth was still trying to give her as much space as she needed, he decided to go down to the lake with Parker. After a hearty breakfast, father and son walked down the path to the lake and both were pleased to find that the water was crystal clear. Booth took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his pants legs and stepped into the water, mud squishing between his toes. "It's not too cold. You want to go swimming?"

Not sure if he trusted his father's opinion, the boy squatted next to the lake and dipped his hand in to the water. "It seems kind of cold to me, Dad."

Stepping back onto the grass, Booth slid out of his pants, exposing his swim trunks. Next, he removed his t-shirt and placed his clothes a few feet from the shore. "You don't have to swim if you don't want to." Running towards the water's edge, he moved into the water then waded out until he was waist deep. "If you do come in, don't dive. You could break your neck."

Since his father didn't seem to be cold, the boy removed his shoes, socks and his pants grabbing his swim trunks at the last minute as they tried to slide down his butt with his pants. Once his pants were off, he removed his shirt tossed it on top of his shoes and walked into the water. "Wow, Dad this water is cold." Shivering, he watched his father sink into the water until it covered his head and after a few seconds, his head reappeared above the water. Booth turned and swam a little ways from shore then stopped and stared at the hesitating boy. "Once you're in it gets warmer, but if you don't want to swim you don't have to. Just don't leave the lake shore, I need to know where you are. Okay?"

He wanted to be brave because his father was so brave, so the boy waded out into the water until he could squat in the water and get his body wet. After a few seconds he felt warmer and knew that his father was telling him the truth. Doggy paddling over to where his father was, the boy reached out his hand and grabbed his father's shoulder. "Can you teach me to swim better?"

Pulling the boy next to him, Booth smiled. "I sure can. I'll give a few lessons and in no time, you'll be as good as your old man."

"Cool."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

While Booth and Parker were down at the lake, Brennan moved out onto the back porch with a book and sat facing the picnic table. The air was warmer than at the lake, but a slight breeze made sure it wasn't uncomfortable. The calls of the blue jays and the occasional chickadee was pleasant to hear. Once in a while a squirrel would bark or she would hear a woodpecker knocking against a tree, but for the most part, the area was quiet with just the sound of the leaves rustling when the wind picked up.

She had planned to read the book she had brought from home, but as she sat staring at the swaying branches and bushes, she thought about the Gravedigger trial and what Heather Taffet had hoped to accomplish by verbally attacking her in court. Brennan knew that her social skills were subpar and Taffet had tried to use that against her. She despised the Gravedigger and all that she stood for.

The woman had kidnapped adults and children as a means to blackmail relatives and friends out of millions of dollars. When the families couldn't pay in time, the victims had died. She had almost died and so had Hodgins which was terrible enough, but the Gravedigger had done the unthinkable and had kidnapped Booth. After they had rescued him, it became apparent that Taffet had intended for Booth to die. Brennan and Hodgins had given her what she wanted and still she had meant for Booth to die and she would never forgive Taffet for that.

This was the source of her anger and pain during the trial and it had made her doubt herself. She wanted to be Booth's partner and help him to solve crimes, but the thought of losing him to someone that callous and cruel made her worry about her ability to back her boyfriend up when he was in danger. He had been kidnapped from the FBI parking garage which had shocked everyone. The cameras had stopped working at the exact moment Booth had been snatched and the FBI put their best techs on the case to find out why. They eventually traced the faulty cameras to an FBI tech being blackmailed by the Gravedigger.

Brennan had blamed herself for not being with him to prevent his kidnapping, but Booth had pointed out that they work in different buildings and she had a job to do which didn't include babysitting him. He had told her more than once that his kidnapping had nothing to do with her, but she still couldn't let it go. She dreamed about his kidnapping and sometimes the dream ended with his death. It was hard to bear and yet she had to if she wanted to continue to work in the field for the FBI.

The trial had been a way of sowing doubt in Brennan and though it hadn't affected the trial it had left Brennan with many questions about her ability to protect her partner. She considered herself an equal partner and she needed Booth to be confident in her. At the moment, she wasn't confident in herself. His kidnapping had brought her very close to the brink of disaster. She loved Booth and the thought of losing him worried her. She had never allowed anyone to grow close enough to her to affect her emotionally. Her parents had abandoned her, thrown her away as did her brother when she was a child and she had tried to be cautious and not allow anyone to cause her anymore emotional pain. Booth was the first person she had ever allowed to break through her wall of logic. Angela was her best friend and she had helped her become confident in social settings, but it was Booth who showed her love and accepted her for who she was. To lose him would have a profound effect on her and she was honest enough with herself to realize that if she ever lost him there would never be anyone else to replace him. She would not be able to risk love ever again.

As the morning progressed, Brennan realized that if she stopped working with Booth then Heather Taffet would claim a partial victory. She had lost her case, but if she destroyed the best partnership the FBI had then she would know that her courtroom tactics had worked. Brennan wasn't sure if Taffet thought she was the weakest link or the strongest, but to break the link would be victory for that vile woman and Brennan could not allow that to happen. She would not give the Gravedigger the satisfaction of seeing her leaving the field.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

After they had sat under the pavilion and waited for their swim suits to dry, Booth and Parker walked back to the cabin, carrying their clothes with them. The day had grown warmer and the shade from the trees was welcome.

"I'm hungry, Dad." Parker had worked off a lot of energy in the lake and he was ready to eat.

Booth picked up a small rock sitting on the side of the trail, studied it for a few seconds and carried it with him to the cabin. "We'll make some sandwiches when we get back. Since I promised you that you'd get salad every day, we're going to have to go the store this afternoon."

"Okay." Parker stopped and stared at a chipmunk sitting on the trail. "Look Dad."

Curious, Booth stood behind the boy and stared at the trail up ahead. "A chipmunk. They . . . " Before he could say anything else, another chipmunk ran onto the trail, charged at the chipmunk sitting in front of them causing the little fellow to run into the woods, the other chipmunk following. "Well, okay then."

The trail now clear, Parker started walking again. "Can we go swimming again tomorrow?"

"I don't see why not." Booth followed his son towards the cabin. "We'll need to see if Bones has any plans. It's her vacation too."

Parker was worried about her. "Is Bones going to be okay? She's awful quiet."

He was worried about her, but Booth knew that Brennan was weighing what had happened at the trial and she was considering severing her ties with the FBI. She had tried to assure him the previous evening that if she did go back to just working on old bones, that would not affect their relationship. Booth would make sure that it didn't, but he hated that he might lose the best anthropologist in the world as his partner. He could work with Clark or Wendell, but he knew that they would never be better than his Bones. "She's trying to work something out, Parker. She might not want to work with me anymore. Bones is thinking about just working on old bones again. We'll have to support her no matter what she decides because she needs to be happy. Sometimes working in law enforcement can burn you out. It's the sadness and the grief we have to work around. It can be tough to take year after year."

"Are you happy, Dad?" The boy wanted his father to be happy.

"I think so." Booth thought it was a fair question. "Sure I see a lot of sadness and grief, a lot of anger, but I help families get closure. I help find who caused the pain and grief and stop them from doing it again. It's a great job, because I can find justice for these families and the love one they lost." He hoped he hadn't gone too deep in his explanation. His son was still a child. "Do you understand?"

Parker stopped and looked up at his father. "I think so. You're the good guy and you help families that lost someone. What you do is important."

Pleased that the boy understood, Booth smiled. "Yeah, it's important. Someone has to do it and I like doing it." He really loved working with the FBI. It was the future he had hoped for when he left the army.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Entering the cabin through the backdoor, Booth and Parker found the kitchen table set and there was something delicious cooking in a crockpot on the counter. He didn't see his girlfriend, but he could see she had done more than read the book she had planned to read. "Hey Bones! We're back."

Brennan walked into the kitchen a bright smile on her face. "I hope you had fun." Brennan admired her boyfriend standing in the kitchen in just swim shorts and shoes. He had a beautiful body and she loved to look at his well-formed pectoralis major when she could. "I hope you're ready for lunch. We're having black eyed peas and steamed rice. I cooked the beans in the crockpot and they should be ready to consume."

"It smells great." Booth moved across the room and kissed Brennan. "You look kind of happy. I'm glad to see it."

Returning his kiss, Brennan took the opportunity to run her hands down his chest to his stomach, stopping before she embarrassed her boyfriend in front of his son. "I am a little happy. I've made my decision, Booth. I won't give up working with you, but I may let Clark share our cases. He needs the training and I could use the opportunity to work in bones storage. At least for a little while."

Glad to hear the news, Booth pulled her into his embrace and kissed her. "Good. I'm glad." He separated from her and smiled. "It wouldn't have been the same just working with someone else permanently. I'm used to working with the best."

"Yes, I know." Brennan moved over to the counter and lifted the lid from the crockpot, unplugging it to allow it to begin to cool. "If I quit then Heather Taffet would win and I will not allow her to win anything."

Grabbing some bowls from the cabinet, Booth felt like he'd been granted a reprieve. He had been worried that he was going to lose Brennan as his partner and he was ecstatic that he wouldn't after all. "She's the last one that should win anything." He hated Heather Taffet and looked forward to seeing her fry for her crimes. "Parker, looks like we might get some ice cream from the store to celebrate this afternoon. You want some ice cream?"

"Boy do I?" Parker wasn't sure what they were celebrating, but he loved ice cream, so he didn't care.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	83. Chapter 83

(The Boy with the Answer)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

The next day, the family decided to spend the day at the lake. Booth and Brennan made a stack of sandwiches, some baggies of sliced apples and oranges and placed them in a cooler along with baggies filled with peanut butter cookies and double stuffed Oreos. They also added serval bottles of water and two bottles of beer. The couple carried the cooler down to the lake while Parker skipped ahead of them on the trail carrying several large towels. Once they arrived at the lake, they placed the cooler under the pavilion along with the towels and decided to go swimming.

Once Brennan was out of her t-shirt and shorts exposing her swimsuit, Booth found it hard to keep his gaze from her body. She was so beautiful and he never grew tired of looking at her gorgeous hour shape figure and lovely long legs. Of course, once he was out of his shirt and shorts leaving him in his swimsuit, Brennan found her attention focused on her boyfriend's body too. Both kept in shape and they were proud of how they looked. They enjoyed an active lifestyle and that included a healthy sex life.

Eager to go swimming, Parker stripped off his shorts only to find his swimsuit down past his hips. Embarrassed, he grabbed the waist and shouted. "Don't look."

Amused, Booth laughed. "Parker I've seen you naked since you were a baby. Who do you think changed your diapers, huh?"

His cheeks a rosy color, the boy made sure the string was tied in his suit to keep it from falling again. "Well, Bones hasn't seen me naked." Marching down to the lake's edge, he waded into the water and decided to practice swimming parallel to the shore.

Brennan turned her gaze upon the boy as he swam in front of them. "He shouldn't worry about anyone seeing his glutinous maximus. Everyone has one."

Since he didn't believe in public nudity, Booth understood Parker's embarrassment. "He's a kid. No youngster wants anyone to see them naked. It's a kid thing." _And a me thing, but we're not going to get into that right now thank you very much._

"I don't think I cared about nudity when I was a child." She felt that too many people were self-conscious about their body. "It doesn't matter what your body looks like. Everyone should be comfortable in their skin. Of course, they should try to stay healthy and exercise when they can, but most people are not perfect, so they should be happy with what they have." She still remembered the want-to-be actress in Hollywood that'd had so many plastic surgeries that her self-identity had been wiped away. She had erased herself and Brennan could never understand that. No one should feel so bad about themselves that they feel compelled to erase who they are to become someone they weren't. "I hope Parker loves himself. That is very important."

Surprised, Booth moved closer to his girlfriend and kissed her gently on the lips. "Thank you for worrying about Parker, but he's fine. He's just a little boy and he doesn't want anyone to see him naked that's all."

She returned his kiss, stepped past him and started to run towards the lake. "The last person to the lake is a rotten ovum."

Dashing after her, Booth arrived at the lake behind his girlfriend and waded in behind her. "You cheated and what the hell is an ovum?"

Her rich laughter echoing off the water that was surrounding her, Brennan stood her ground and jabbed a finger in his chest. "I do not cheat and an ovum is an egg of course."

Booth picked her up and placed her on his shoulder which caused her to scream. "Put me down. Put me down Booth."

"Fine." He slipped her over his shoulder and heard her hit the water. Turning, he saw her spluttering and wiping the water from her eyes. "You did tell me to put you down."

Not amused, Brennan launched herself at her partner knocking him back into the water. Spluttering he shook his head and decided this was getting too rough. "Okay, Pax." He stood up and watched Parker treading water near them. "Want to dive?"

"Oh boy, yes." Parker waited for his father to come near him, lift him up and throw him in the water. Breaking the surface, Parker laughed. "Do it again Dad."

Happy to comply, Booth picked his son up and tossed him away from him into a deeper part of the lake. He ended up doing it several times until he felt a twinge in his lower back. "Okay now, let your old man swim some." Parker laughed and moved back to the shore so he could get a bottle of water.

Booth swam a leisurely pace out towards the center of the small lake, joined by Brennan. Adjusting his pace, he swam beside his girlfriend for a few minutes then stopped when he thought they were near the center. Brennan swam a few feet further, stopped and returned to her boyfriend's side. "Why did you stop?" She swam closer and placed her arms around his neck. "Are you tired?"

"Nah, I don't want to get out of sight of Parker." Booth glanced back at the shore and saw his son wading in the water drinking from a bottle of water. "I don't want to temp him to try and follow us. He's not a very good swimmer, at least not yet. He loves swimming though, so it won't be long before he gets the hang of it."

Her gaze upon her boyfriend's face, when he turned to look at her, she kissed him. "He does like to dive."

He hadn't want to bring it up, but since they were alone and Parker couldn't hear them, Booth decided to speak while he could. "You had a bad dream last night. I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't, so I held you until you stopped crying. Do you remember the dream? Do you want to talk about it?"

She remembered the dream, but wasn't sure if she wanted to relive it at the moment. "Not out here. Maybe this evening . . . Let's go back to the pavilion. I'd like a drink."

"Sure." Moving away from her, Booth turned to face shore and started to swim back with Brennan following.

Oooooooooooooooo

Under the pavilion, Booth gave Parker a sandwich along with Brennan while Parker passed a bottle of water to the adults. While they ate, Booth watched a few ducks land in the water where Parker had been playing earlier. "Look Parker, ducks."

Turning, the boy watched the canvasbacks while he ate his sandwich. "They're kind of pretty." The birds moved through some of the tall grasses in the water and picked off a few frogs sitting on a barely submerged log.

Brennan watched them for a few minutes then moved over to the cooler and extracted one of the bottles of beer from the icy water. Holding up the other one, she watched Booth nod his head and she brought the second one to him. As they drank their beer and ate their sandwiches, they sat next to each other, their legs touching. The sound of the ducks, the squirrels and woodpeckers in the distance made for a pleasant atmosphere and Booth enjoyed it. "I don't miss the sound of cars and trucks. It's nice out here."

In agreement, Brennan nodded her head. "I find the noise in the city can be quite loud sometimes, but where we live it is much quieter than where my apartment was. The trees and the fence help suppress some of the noise."

Finished with his sandwich, Parker placed his baggy and empty bottle back in the cooler. "Can I go swimming?"

Booth shook his head. "Nope, you just ate. I was thinking we could go back to the cabin and play some basketball or maybe some baseball."

Disappointed, Parker sighed. "Okay . . . can we swim tomorrow?"

Reaching his hand down towards Brennan, he helped her stand. "You sure do like swimming." Booth was beginning to wonder if his boy had been born with gills. "Maybe we should go fishing instead. Mix up our fun a little. "

"Cool." Parker loved fishing almost as much as swimming. "Maybe we can catch a big fish and cook it tomorrow on the grill."

Brennan scrunched her nose. "Don't expect me to clean it or eat it." She didn't eat meat and that included aquatic creatures.

"Not a problem, Bones." Booth kissed her. "I'll take care of everything if we catch anything." He enjoyed kissing his partner and when he could he tried to get as many as possible.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

That evening, while lying in bed, Brennan lay in the crook of Booth's shoulder and brought up the dream from the previous evening. "Sometimes I dream about your kidnapping. I see you on the boat as our helicopter comes near you and . . . and you're standing on the deck waving your arms and I'm so happy to see you and . . ." She swallowed, tears forming in her eyes. "And the ship blows up and you disappear." That nightmare had haunted her dreams for weeks after her boyfriend had been rescued and during that time, she always claimed not to remember her dream. The thought of losing Booth was too horrible to bear and talking about it would have made it worse. The dark dreams had faded away only to return with the Gravedigger trial and she hated it. "I know that isn't what happened, but it could have happened so easily. Just a few minutes late would have been all it took."

He heard her sob and he knew this was why Brennan had taken the Gravedigger trial so hard. Taffet had tried to make Brennan doubt herself and it had partly worked. He knew he would be so glad when that bitch was dead. "Bones, I'm so sorry." He held her while she cried. He let her weep knowing that she needed the emotional release. The trial had been onerous on all of them and Brennan needed to put it behind her as soon as she could.

Eventually she quit crying, removed some tissues from the box on the nightstand next to the bed and wiped her wet cheeks dry. "I know it's silly to cry about something that didn't happen, but the dream seems so real."

"Hey, it's not silly." Booth suffered from nightmares himself and he knew just how vivid they could be. "We don't have control over what we dream, so how can it be silly? . . . The Gravedigger trial was rough on you. She did her damnedest to shake you up, but you were rock solid during the trial. That bitch tried to shake all of us up, but she failed. She was found guilty and she's going to die for what she did. You just need to give your mind time to catch up with reality. You're going to be okay, I promise."

His words helped calm her and she appreciated the strength behind them. "Yes, you're right. She did fail and she won't be able to kill or hurt anyone else." Much calmer, she closed her eyes. "Hold me."

"I am." Booth knew she was tired and he would pray that she had a good night's rest. "Always."

Oooooooooooooooooo

The next few days were filled with activities in the lake or in the backyard and time was found for hikes through the forest. The days flew by so fast that Parker realized that they would be going home the next day. "Gosh, I wish we could stay longer."

"I wish we could too, Bud, but me and Bones have to go back to work and your Mom is expecting you home tomorrow night."

Brennan stepped out onto the back porch with a tray in her hand. On the tray were three glasses of tea and a plate of fresh baked brownies. "Since this is our last day, I think we should celebrate with brownies."

Eager for the taste of chocolate, Booth stood up, took the tray from Brennan and placed it on an overturned milk crate that they had been using as a table. It was lower than the lawn chairs, but at least it wasn't on the floor. "Oh wow, thanks Bones." He grabbed a brownie from the plate, took a big bite and closed his eyes. Savoring the flavors, he finally swallowed. "God that is so good."

Not to be left out, Parker lifted a brownie from the plate and gobbled it down, grabbing another. "Thanks Bones." He loved brownies and he loved Brennan's brownies the best since she made them chewie. After he ate the second one, he tried to grab a third brownie, but his father placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "Hold it. Two is enough for now. Drink some tea."

Reluctantly, the boy picked up the glass and took a sip. "You're the best brownie maker, Bones."

Flattered, Brennan smiled as she nibbled the corner of a brownie. "Thank you." Her gaze moving out to the backyard, she thought of the possibility of buying a cabin on a piece of land like the one she was standing on. It was nice to have a retreat. On the other hand, it had been a struggle to buy a house for her and Booth and a cabin would probably cause more problems between them than it was worth. "This place is nice. I've enjoyed the peace."

Booth was glad that everyone had had a great time. "Yeah . . . this has been a pretty good vacation. I'm glad we came." The call of a blue jay broke the peace. "I think he'll be happy when we leave. He's been telling us off ever since we showed up." The blue jay left the branch he had been perched on and swooped over to the picnic table. "I guess we need to pack. We have to leave in the morning . . . Maybe we can come back someday."

"That would be nice." Brennan watched the blue jay leave the table and fly up and land on the basketball hoop. "Perhaps we can bring a bag of birdseed and set up a feeder while we're here."

Amused, Booth winked at Parker. "Sure we can. Of course, there won't be anyone here to refill it once we go home."

"That doesn't matter." Brennan didn't see a problem. "We can fill it while we are here. I'd like to see how many types of birds would show up. I may take some pictures for Hodgins."

Parker picked up the plate of brownies. "I'll take these back into the kitchen." As he stepped into the cabin, he grabbed a brownie from the plate and ate it. He knew his father would notice, but since it would be in his stomach would that really matter?

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	84. Chapter 84

(The Beginning in the End)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it. A little angst in this chapter, but it will end happily.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

They had been back from vacation for three days when it seemed that the universe suddenly wanted to separate Brennan and Booth. First, a letter arrived at the Lab from Professor Dean Fonte of the Maluku project. Brennan had been flattered that he had asked her to come aboard the project as the camp coordinator, but taking the job would mean that she would be away from Booth and the Lab for a year if not longer.

The thought of being part of a ground-breaking dig had been quite a temptation and Brennan was tempted to take the job. As was her custom when asked to make life changing decisions, she had made a Pro and Con list about the dig to see if the pros would outweigh the cons. In the end, she decided that she couldn't be away from home for a year and declined the offer.

While Brennan was debating about whether or not to go to Maluku, Booth had his own dilemma to work out. He and Sweets had taken a break and gone to the Mall to get a cup of coffee from Booth's favorite coffee stand. He drank the coffee in the breakroom when he had to, but he considered it swill and tried to have at least one decent cup of coffee a day.

Sweets enjoyed it when Booth took him on a coffee run. He considered the older man to be a friend and having coffee with that friend was one of the best parts of his work day. As he sipped his coffee, Booth talked about his recent vacation and how Parker was improving his swimming skills when an Army colonel approached them.

"Master Sargent Booth, I've been looking for you and was told I'd find you here." The man stood ramrod straight and with it gave the impression that he was unyielding. At least that was the way Sweets interpreted the body language of the man.

"FBI Special Agent in Charge Booth, Major Crimes." Annoyed, Booth took his sip of coffee and waited for the colonel to make the next move. It didn't take long.

"Master Sargent, our people need you. Young men are dying as we speak and you can do something about that." Colonel Pelant wasn't about to let Booth off the hook. He had been the man's commanding officer in the past and he knew how Booth ticked. "Your skills would save a lot of lives if you would just do your duty. Your services are vital to our country and you need to realize that sitting safely back here at home is allowing our people to die needlessly in Afghanistan and Iraq."

Stunned at the blatant disrespect and attempted manipulation, Sweets place his cup on the ground and stood up. "Sir, you can't talk to Agent Booth like that. He's a hero. A war hero who . . ."

Booth grabbed the younger man's arm and pulled him down, forcing him to sit back on the bench. "Sweets . . . don't." Once the younger man was out of the conversation, Booth sipped more of his coffee and stared at a shabbily dressed man shuffling down the path towards the coffee cart. "You don't have my number any more, Colonel." Booth turned his gaze back upon Pelant. "If you say jump I have no intention of asking how high . . . in fact, I'm more inclined to tell you to fuck off."

A little shocked at the disrespect, Pelant shook his head at the unexpected rudeness. "I am a colonel in the United States Army, Master Sargent. You will show me respect."

Booth knew that the colonel was trying to control him and he wasn't going to allow that to happen. "I deserve respect too, Colonel. I reminded you that I am no longer in the service and in fact I have another title and yet you continue to ignore it . . . I served my country. I did things that my government asked me to do that went well above and beyond the call of duty . . . You are not going to shame me into doing anything. I love my country and I will protect it the best way I can, but it will be done here in this country working for the FBI and there is nothing that you can to do to change that."

He was furious that Booth was not listening to him, but the Colonel had an ace up his sleeve. No Army Ranger could ignore it. Removing a letter from his jacket pocket he handed it to Booth. "This comes from some one more important than myself. You are needed Master Sargent; your country is asking for your help and that help will not go unrewarded. You will come back in as a Sargent Major. It's only for one year. Surely you can give up your cushy job for one year to help your country when it's in need?"

Reluctantly, Booth took the envelope and opened it. Inside he found a letter from the Secretary of the Army asking him to serve in Afghanistan for a minimum of one year. The letter praised him for his past duty to his country, mentioned how important he was to the Army and how his services were desperately needed. Shaking his head, Booth held the letter in his hand. "I'm forty years old. I have a bad back, bad feet and I had a brain tumor last year that had to be removed from my head . . . It may have . . . I am not fit to return to service as a Ranger and I decline." Booth placed the letter back in the envelope, stared at it for a moment, tore it in half and dropped it in the trash barrel next to him along with his cup of coffee. "Don't contact me again." He wanted to serve his country, but he wasn't sure he wouldn't be a risk to any unit he was assigned to. There was also the fact that his family needed him at home. He was in a relationship with Brennan and he was seeing his son more than he had in the past. The boy needed a father and Brennan needed him at home, not in a foreign war. He wouldn't risk everything he had. He couldn't.

Colonel Pelant glared at Booth and wondered what had happened to Booth to make him change so much. He had always considered Booth a super patriot and he had tried his best to talk Booth out of leaving the army and joining the FBI. He had been sure that the letter from the Secretary of the Army would have been all that was needed to get the man to comply. "You used to be someone our country could count on. Clearly you have grown weak working for the FBI."

Standing, Booth moved closer to the Colonel until his chest was almost touching the officer's chest. He loved the FBI and there was no way he was going to allow the colonel to denigrate such a great organization. "You've gone too far, Colonel Pelant. I can't be manipulated into doing something that I think would be wrong for me and wrong for the Army. I realize you don't care about me personally. You just need someone to do something for you and if that gets me killed, well I guess there are others you can try to bully back into service. I served my country and I served it proudly and with honor. You can't take that away from me. No one can."

He had tried and now he would have to return to the Pentagon and tell his bosses that they would have to find someone else. Booth wasn't interested and if the letter hadn't impressed him then nothing would. "You served your country when they needed it. They still need your service, but if you refuse to help us when we are in need then of course, stay in the FBI . . . you have disappointed me, Master Sargent." He refused to acknowledge the man's rank in the FBI.

"Too bad because I don't care." Booth had had enough. Turning, he stalked down the path away from the colonel and the coffee cart.

Sweets raced after Booth and once he caught up with him, he shoved his hands in his pants pockets. "He was trying to manipulate you. He knows you are very patriotic and you love this country very much."

He hadn't wanted that scene to be played out in from of his young friend, but it had and he couldn't change it. "My yearly check-up was yesterday . . . I have to go back tomorrow afternoon. Something may be wrong. The last thing I need is to join the army and find out that my brain tumor is back. If it's back, then I'd be a danger to any unit I was assigned to. You remember the crazy shit I thought I saw the last time . . . Plus, I need to be home with my family, just in case . . . just in case." He wasn't sure why he was talking to Sweets about it, but he hadn't mentioned it to anyone yet. He needed to talk to Brennan as soon as possible to prepare her just in case the tumor was back. "Don't mention this to anyone. I don't know why I told you. This isn't anyone's business, but mine."

"You can count on me." Sweets knew that he was being tested by the Agent and he would not fail. "I won't tell anyone . . . you need to talk to Dr. Brennan before tomorrow." He knew that Brennan would not forgive Booth if he hid this from her. "She deserves to know."

As they left the Mall, Booth glanced back to see if the Colonel was following him. He wasn't. "I'm meeting her for lunch. I'll tell her then."

"Good." Sweets still couldn't believe that Booth had talked so disrespectfully to the Colonel, but the man had also been disrespectful to Booth. The whole thing had been very strange since Booth was normally very respectful towards authority figures. He was also afraid for his friend. He wasn't religious, but he prayed that the tumor wasn't back.

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After they ate lunch, Booth talked Brennan into going for a walk with him before they returned to work. As they walked side by side, Booth knew that he had put off his news long enough. "You remember I had a checkup yesterday? About my brain?"

"Of course." Brennan had noticed that Booth had been very quiet for the last two days and it was starting to worry her. "What did your surgeon say?"

He cleared his throat. "Um, well, he said that there's a shadow on my brain." Booth noticed Brennan turn pale. "Hey, don't get upset. I have to go back tomorrow. He wants to check my records before he does anything else. He said he might have me do another MRI too. He thinks it's weird that I don't have any symptoms like a headache or nausea or seeing cartoon characters, so he didn't want me to worry about it yet and you shouldn't either."

As calm as she could be under the circumstance, Brennan gripped Booth's hand and tried to be supportive. "It's possible that the dark spot is a leftover stain from an old injury. You were a prisoner of war and you were abused as a child. It might be harmless . . . your medical records should be able to tell us if it's anything to worry about."

"Didn't you look at my MRI before I was operated on?" He knew that Brennan had an eidetic memory and he was hoping she remembered seeing a spot on his brain at that time.

"I did, but I concentrated on your tumor." Now she wished she had looked at everything on the MRI. She didn't know why she didn't do it at the time, but she would never let that happen again. "Since you don't have any symptoms, I think that you have nothing to worry about." She hoped that was true.

Since Brennan didn't seem to think it was a big deal, he wished he'd talked to her the previous evening. "I should have mentioned it last night, but I was still trying to take it in and I didn't know if it was serious or not . . . I mean I know the tumor can come back, but my surgeon said I'm symptom free . . . I knew I had to tell you. I just didn't want to upset you."

She wasn't happy that he had waited this long to tell her, but she knew it was in his nature to try to protect her. Even if she didn't want or need the protection. "Next time, you must tell me right away . . . I mean it Booth. Right away. We are partners and we can't keep secrets from each other."

"Yeah, I will. I promise." Maybe it wasn't anything to worry about. He hoped and prayed that was true.

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Relieved, Booth gripped Brennan's hand while Dr. Myers smiled at the couple." Like I said Mr. Booth, I had a consultation with Dr. Stewart and we compared the MRI you took a few days ago with the MRI we received from Walter Reed and the dark spot I saw on your MRI is an old injury. Dr. Stewart thinks it might have happened in your youth. Do you remember having a head injury as a young boy or a teenager?"

Embarrassed, Booth felt the skin on his cheeks flush. "Uh, yeah . . . my father . . . my father was abusive. He uh . . . he hit me a few times." He didn't want to continue. It was humiliating to admit that he had been the victim of abuse.

Dr. Myers had seen it before and it made him angry every time for the patient. How someone could abuse a child was beyond him and it made him sick to think about it. A few years prior to this, he had been called in to operate on a toddler. The father had punched the little boy in the head. The child had died and he had never forgiven the man for doing something so terrible to a baby. "I see, Mr. Booth. Well, I've made a note in my records, so I'll have that information in the future . . . The rest of the MRI didn't show anything else that it shouldn't. I'd say you're doing quite well and your recovery is remarkable. You will need to come in once a year to let me check on you, but for right now, congratulations."

"Thanks, Doc." It had been mortifying to admit his father had hurt him when he was a child, but his doctor needed to be told the truth. Besides, he knew that Brennan would have told him if he hadn't. She wanted the best for him and she knew that Dr. Myers needed all of the information he could get. "I'll see you next year." Booth stood up pulling on Brennan's hand. Once she was up on her feet, he placed his hand on her lower back and practically propelled her from the room.

Once they were in the hallway, Booth pulled her into his arms. "Looks like you're stuck with me after all." He kissed her and laughed. "Damn I'm so happy."

Ecstatic, Brennan wanted to take Booth home and celebrate. "So am I Booth. I think we should play hooky for the rest of the day, don't you?" Though she wouldn't admit it to Booth, she had been afraid that the situation was serious and that it was possible she could lose him. As far as she was concerned, the decision she had made not to go to Maluku turned out to be the correct one. How could she leave her man behind knowing that it was possible that his tumor could return at any time? She had faith in his surgeon and Dr. Myers seemed to think it was a low possibility, but that still meant it could happen. She would not deprive herself of Booth's companionship for one year.

He was so excited, he found it hard to remain still. "I'm with you Bones. We're going to spend the day together and if anyone calls us, we'll just say we're sick . . . Let's go home." As they made their way to his truck, Booth was thankful that he had told Pelant that he wasn't going back in to the service. If there was a possibility in the future that his brain tumor could return, then he didn't want to be away from Brennan for a year. That year would be too precious to waste. He loved his Bones so much and he wanted to be with her for as long as he could be.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

.


	85. Chapter 85

(After 'The Beginning in the End')

A/N: Just a reminder that this story is AU. A little angst coming up.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

It was his weekend to have Parker, so Booth swung by Rebecca's house to pick up the boy after work. He found it odd that there were no lights on in the house and the yard was looking a little unkempt as he drew near the house. As he pulled up in the driveway, he noticed a sign in the front yard that proclaimed that the house was for sale. Surprised, he parked his truck and walked up the walkway to the front door. Knocking hard, Booth felt his temper starting to rise when no one came to the door. If Rebecca was planning on moving, why didn't she mention it when he dropped off Parker the day they came back from vacation? Where the hell was she and where was his son?

After a couple of minutes, when no one appeared at the door, he walked over to the front window and peered inside. The room was dark, but he could see that the room was empty. There was no furniture in the room and Booth knew that Rebecca had done the unthinkable. Moving around the side of the house he peered in each window and found the rooms to be empty with just bare walls and floors. After circling the house, he knew that his ex was gone and so was his son.

Furious, he walked over towards his truck wondering what he should do next. As he leaned against his truck glaring at the empty house a patrol car pulled up in the driveway blocking Booth's SUV. Careful to keep his hands at his sides, Booth watched a police officer leave his car and approach him. "Officer Phan? FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth."

The officer recognized Booth and relaxed. "We had a report that someone was trespassing here."

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "I came to pick up my son and I found out that he isn't here. In fact, no one is here. I'm sure my ex just forgot to tell me that she moved." He was embarrassed and he didn't want to be the butt of gossip at the Metro police station. "Rebecca has had a lot on her mind lately . . ." He didn't know what else to say and not make the situation worse than it already was.

Officer Phan found that the whole thing was bizarre, but he knew the agent and he had no intention of embarrassing the man. He had to work with him occasionally and the last thing he wanted was to turn the agent into an enemy. "I see . . . The house is for sale." It was obvious and yet the agent hadn't left when he saw the sign.

"Yeah, I'll call her when I get home and see what's going on." He continued to stand next to his truck and stare at the officer. "Do you patrol this neighborhood often? Do you know when this sign went up?"

The officer nodded his head. "Yeah. The 'for sale' sign went up about two weeks ago. I think it might have been a Tuesday although I won't swear to that. The movers were here for a couple of days and had everything out about three weeks ago."

His anger under tight control, Booth gave the officer a smile, although it was probably the fakest smile the officer had ever seen. "Thanks. I guess I'll go home now."

Since there was nothing else to say, Officer Phan got back in his car, backed down the driveway and out into the street. Just to make sure the Agent left, he waited for Booth to drive his SUV down the driveway and out into the street before he left. Whatever was going on, the officer decided it wasn't his business and he was going to stay out of it. He would report that Agent Booth was checking on the house and leave it at that.

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Once he was home, Booth sat in his truck and tried to control his anger. He knew he was in a volatile state and there was no way he was going to take his anger out on his girlfriend or anyone else. This problem wasn't her fault and she shouldn't bear the brunt of his anger. He needed to be in control. He needed to be in total control.

Brennan had heard the truck pull into the driveway and after a while began to wonder why her boyfriend hadn't come into the house. She knew that Parker and Booth must be hungry and she had dinner ready for them. After a few more minutes, curiosity and worry won, she left the house and walked out to the driveway. Finding Booth alone and slumped over the steering wheel, she grew alarmed and opened the passenger door. "What's wrong? Where's Parker? Is he alright?"

His anger tamped down, Booth straightened up, turned to look at Brennan and spoke with little emotion in his voice. "Rebecca and Parker are gone . . . The house is empty and there's a for-sale sign in the front yard. I . . . I talked to a police officer patrolling the neighborhood and he told me that . . . he told me that movers moved everything out of the house three weeks ago and the sign went up two weeks ago."

Shocked at the turn of events, Brennan slid into the truck and sat facing her lover. "She moved while we were on vacation and was waiting for Parker when you brought him back. Why would she do that? Surely, she knows that she can't keep you from seeing Parker. You have an agreement. It's legal and binding. That doesn't change just because she's moved."

His mind racing with possibilities, Booth exhaled deeply. "Maybe she took a job near her parents. They live in the state of New York. Maybe she thought I'd fight the move. Her Dad is sick . . . she should have told me. We could have made other arrangements."

Brennan found the situation to be infuriating. Booth was once more being mistreated by his ex and she was getting tired of it. Very very tired of it. "Have you tried to call her?"

Booth nodded his head. "Yeah, twice. She's not picking up. I left her a message twice, but . . . I don't know . . . I need to find out where she went. Where she took my son."

His voice was so void of emotion, Brennan worried that he was masking a white hot rage. She knew that Booth was afraid of his temper and he was probably trying to protect her, but this emotionless state he was in seemed so unlike him. It was almost as if she was talking to a stranger. "You're angry." She needed to understand his emotional state.

"Yes." He was filled with rage, but at the moment he was in hunter mode. His son was missing and he was going to find him. He needed control and he would maintain that control until he no longer needed it. He had hunted dangerous men down in the past, he was certain he could find his ex and his son. "It's okay, Bones . . . I'm in control . . . I'm in hunting mode right now. I can't . . . I have to be in control if I want to find Parker. I'm going to call Angela and see if she can help me. She's a computer genius. She can probably put the clues together . . . I have to find Parker . . . Do you understand? I'm in control."

And she did understand. She knew that Booth was a very dangerous man when he needed to be and he wasn't one to cross. "Yes, I do understand. I'm on your side and I will help where I can." She spoke calmly and rationally. She would back up Booth no matter where this took them.

"Thank you." He got out of the truck and walked around to the other side where Brennan met him. Placing his arms around her he held her against his body. "I'm in control."

"Yes." She placed her arms around her boyfriend and felt his body tremble against hers. She knew he might be in control, but it wasn't deep control and there was a limit as to how long he could maintain his control. Rebecca had made a very serious mistake and she hoped that she was with Booth when he confronted his ex. She didn't think Rebecca really understood who Booth was.

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Angela had bad news for Booth and made sure that Brennan was in the room when she broke the news. She wasn't afraid of Booth, but she was afraid for Booth. He was going to need support. "She's in London . . . Her law firm transferred Rebecca to London the week before you went on vacation. Apparently, she waited until Parker was out of the way and had her household goods packed up and most of them shipped to her new home in London. Some of her goods are in storage here in the District. She spent a few days in England while you were in Pennsylvania and flew back the morning you planned to return. She had tickets for her and Parker and they left for England that night. You dropped Parker off and she was on a plane to London two hours later . . . her phone is still activated here, but I have another phone she had activated a few days ago." She handed Booth a paper with Rebecca's new phone number and her address in London. "I'm sorry."

Relieved that he now knew where his son was, Booth took the paper from Angela. He was still in control, but the tightness he had been feeling in his chest had lightened considerably in the last few minutes. "It's the not knowing that was killing me . . . thank you Angela . . . Thanks." He left Angela's office and walked down the hall to Brennan's office.

Brennan smiled at Angela and followed Booth to her office. Once they were in the room, she closed the door while Booth removed his phone from his jacket pocket and dialed the number Angela had given him. The phone rang twice. "Hello Rebecca. You didn't really think I wouldn't find you, did you?"

 _Seeley . . . no, I knew you'd find me sooner or later._

"Why Rebecca?" That was the question that had been eating at him for days. "Why?"

 _This transfer is important to me, Seeley. It could lead to a partnership in my law firm. If I do well here, I've been assured that the partnership will be mine. I couldn't let you interfere. This new job is going to be my ticket into a better position and that means more money for me and our son. I'll be able to do so much for Parker now, but I didn't think you would be able to see that. This doesn't mean you won't be able to see Parker. It just means that you won't be able to see him three times a month. I think we can increase the summer vacation to two months, he can stay during Christmas and Easter for a week each and perhaps you can come and visit here in London when you can. I'm not keeping you from our son, Seeley. That is not my intention._

"Why couldn't you come to me and tell me all of this?" Booth was so angry his heart was racing. "Why kidnap my son and take him out of the country without telling me? I know I'm not important to you and you don't give a shit about my feelings, but you could have talked to me about what you were doing . . . I didn't know where you were and where my son was. What you did was wrong. I'm Parker's father. I have rights."

 _I knew I could count on you to lose your temper. You're so predictable. This is why I didn't tell you. This career move will make my future and Parker's future, but of course that doesn't matter to you. Only your rights count . . . I did what was best for me and my son. My lawyer will be contacting you tomorrow with a legal paper emphasizing that your rights are still valid and that your visitations have changed due to circumstances. Accept it, Seeley. Don't fight me on this. If you do, you may never see Parker again._

The blood rushed from his face. "I want to talk to my son." His breathing was ragged and he was close to losing control.

 _Only if you will not blame Parker for this. He didn't know about the move until the night we got on the plane. He's just a little boy, Seeley. Don't take your anger out on him for something that I've done._

"What the hell is wrong with you, Rebecca?" Booth wanted to throw his phone at the wall, but he needed it at the moment. "Why would I yell at Parker?"

 _Just making sure. Wait a minute. He's in the other room._

Soon the boy was on the phone. _Dad . . . Dad I didn't know we were moving Dad._ He was crying. The boy was afraid his father would hate him for moving away and not tell him.

"Parker . . . son, don't cry. I'm not mad at you. Never you, Parker. I love you." He heard the boy stop crying and that assured him that the boy was okay. "Look, your mother was the one that . . . it's okay, Parker. Really . . . Your Mom and I are going to work this out. It's going to be okay . . . Parker I love you."

 _I love you too, Dad. I didn't want to come, but Mom said I had to . . . I wanted to stay with you, but Mom said I couldn't._

Booth didn't know what else to say. "It's okay, Parker, really . . . You're still going to see me. You're still my son and we're going to be together again I promise."

 _I had fun at the camp, Dad. Can we do that again when I come back?_

"Sure we can, Parker. Sure we can." Booth wasn't sure what the future was going to be, but he would see his son again. "I love you. Always remember that Daddy loves you."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	86. Chapter 86

(After 'The Beginning in the End')

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

He sat in the man cave, the television off, his stereo playing classic rock softly in the background. He couldn't sleep and he didn't want to disturb Brennan any more than he already had. They had talked for a few hours about what his options were regarding Parker, but in the end, Booth didn't want to tear his son away from his mother. Brennan couldn't understand why he was so adamant trying to protect Rebecca's rights and Booth didn't know how to explain himself. They had gone to bed unhappy, but after two hours of restless sleeping Booth had left the bedroom and found sanctuary in the basement.

"Booth?" She had felt him leave their bed and had tried to return to sleep, but sleep had evaded her. She wanted to help Booth with his problem, but he wasn't letting her. She wasn't sure why and that made her restless. Did he not trust her? Was she so socially unaware that he didn't think he could explain his position or was it that he knew that she just wouldn't understand? She knew that Booth loved her, but it was times like this that she worried that she wasn't what he needed. "I'm sorry that I am unable to understand the situation. Clearly I am incapable of helping you and I am sorry for that."

Startled, Booth opened his eyes and placed his feet in the floor to face her. "Bones . . . Bones don't apologize okay? You're not doing anything wrong. I just don't know how to explain myself . . . I have my reasons for why I don't want to take Parker from his mother." He saw the worried look on her face and he knew that he was just making her feel worse. "Come here, I need to talk to you."

She moved across the room and sat down on the couch next to him. She didn't say anything. She just wanted to know why Booth was acting the way he was. It didn't make sense to her. She wanted to sue Rebecca for Parker. She knew that it would be a battle, but Brennan felt that Booth had a least a fifty percent chance of winning.

"Look . . . okay, when I was ten years old my Dad and Mom got into a big fight one night. I don't know what it was about because I was in my bedroom when it started." Booth remembered how bad the weather was that night. It was raining hard outside and the thunder and lightning was so intense, he felt like the house might collapse in a fiery pile of rubble killing everyone in the Booth family. "I heard him hitting her and her yelling in pain. I left my bedroom to see if maybe I could protect her . . . They were in the kitchen by the time I got downstairs. I don't know why the basement door was open, but she screamed something at him and my father just punched her in the face. Mom was standing in front of the open door and she just fell backwards down the stairs . . . she screamed . . . she screamed while she fell and then . . . and then the screaming stopped."

He brushed a tear from his eye. He could still see it all in his mind as if it had happened that day. The look on his father's face was surprising. The man had actually appeared afraid. "Dad ran downstairs calling out my Mom's name and I moved closer to the stairs. I could hear her moaning and Dad was crying . . . I don't know how she survived the fall, but she did . . . I went downstairs. I thought maybe I could help, but . . . Dad heard me and he shouted at me to call for help. I called the police. We didn't have 911 back then and I had to call the operator and have her call the police for me." He stopped talking. The image of his mother lying at the bottom of the stairs and his father crying over her wouldn't leave him.

"He cried." Booth shook his head. "He almost killed her and he had the nerve to cry . . . the bastard."

Brennan gripped Booth's hand. She wasn't sure if he was aware of her support, but that didn't matter. He sounded so tragic, so lost.

"I waited on the porch for help to come." Booth sighed. "At first a police officer came then an ambulance. They asked Dad what happened and he told them Mom tripped down the stairs . . . the lying bastard. They didn't ask me . . . I'm not sure what I would have said if they had asked me . . . They took my Mom away and I never saw her again. I asked to go see her in the hospital, but Dad said I couldn't and then after a few weeks he said that Mom wasn't coming home. He wouldn't explain and I learned to stop asking. He hit me if I mentioned Mom . . . it got worse after that. He didn't have Mom to torture anymore so he went after me most of the time . . . Jared some of the times."

He stopped speaking and that worried Brennan. He was so still, so caught up in bad memories and that made her nervous. "Booth . . . Booth . . . Booth." He finally blinked and looked at her much to her relief.

"Mom had protected me most of the time when she lived with us or she tried to." He didn't think he was telling her what she needed to know. He needed her to understand. "With her gone, my life became almost unlivable. After a while, I thought about killing myself."

She gripped his hand tightly and leaned her forehead against his shoulder. To think of him killing himself was so unthinkable. She was speechless.

"Pops walked into the house one day and found my father beating the shit out of me." Booth considered his grandfather his hero. He would always be a hero. "Pops took me and Jared home and he raised us. I don't know where my mother went, but she never came back. She just gave up on me and Jared. I don't know why. I can understand why she ran away from my old man. Who wants to be abused like that? No one . . . but to give up on her kids . . . maybe she just couldn't handle having a family anymore . . . I prayed that she would come back and get me and Jared, but she never did. She just . . . I don't know . . . threw us away like yesterdays trash."

Booth exhaled deeply. "I'm telling you this so you can understand what's going on . . . Rebecca loves Parker. She would never abandon him, never. No matter what's going on her life, Parker comes first . . . She's made sure he's been in sports and special programs like the science summer school program they had at the Jeffersonian. When she and Drew were having trouble, she made sure that Parker was okay and that meant that Drew had to leave. She protected our son and she always will. Rebecca isn't like my mother. She would never abandon her son and that means when she moved to England, Parker had to go with her. That's bad for me, but she made sure that Parker was with her and . . . and that is more than my mother did. Parker needs a mother like Rebecca. She loves him so much and I won't take our son away from her. It wouldn't be right. Not when he means so much to her and how she protects him so much . . . I wish my mother had loved and cared for me that much, but she didn't. Me and Jared weren't worth saving . . . I won't separate them. I can't do that. Not when I wished so much that I had never been separated from my mother. I just can't do it. Do you understand?"

Brennan leaned back and stared into her boyfriend's soulful eyes. "Thank you for explaining your reasoning Booth and for telling me about your mother. I knew that she had disappeared from your life when you were a boy, but I didn't know why. Yes, Rebecca is a good mother to Parker, but you are a good father, Booth. I understand why you don't want to separate Parker from his mother, but this will mean you will see him less. Will you be okay with that?"

He thought about it for a few seconds. "It'll have to be. He needs his mother and his mother needs him. As much as I hate Rebecca right now, I know that I can count on her to protect my boy. She will protect him with her life and Parker will be safe. He'll always be safe with her. I can count on that."

His story was tragic and Brennan could see that his mother's abandonment had affected him greatly. She too had been abandoned by her parents and she still couldn't forgive them for what they had done. Perhaps she never would. "Yes, Rebecca will protect him. He is a very lucky boy to have parents like you and Rebecca." She was sincere. Like Booth, she might despise Rebecca, but she knew that Parker would always be safe by his mother's side and it would be that way until he was grown enough to be on his own. If only her parents had loved her enough to protect her. Perhaps her life would have been better. It certainly couldn't have been worse.

"Yeah, he is." Booth hated Rebecca for taking his boy to England, but he would always be grateful that she was such a great parent to his son. He knew that if anything ever happened to him, his ex would make sure that his son was loved and protected.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

A/N: To the guest reviewer who seems to think this is just a 'Booth gets screwed story and Brennan is getting off free' thing, I find your premise rather puzzling. Brennan loves Booth and if Booth is suffering emotionally then so is she. Just like he was there for her when she found out her mother was dead and her father wasn't, Brennan is supporting Booth. Also, Brennan loves Parker and thinks of him as a son. Rebecca whisking the boy off to another country is upsetting to her as well as Booth.


	87. Chapter 87

(After 'The Beginning in the End')

I don't own Bones.

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"How's Booth?" Angela leaned against the doorframe of Brennan's office and noticed the distracted look on her friend's face.

Startled, Brennan turned to face Angela. "He's fine. He's talked to Rebecca's lawyer and made sure that his visitation rights are still covered. He's upset that he won't be able to see Parker three times a month, but it is what it is."

"He should fight." Angela stepped into the room. "He should sue for parental custody. I'm sure he'd win."

Brennan shook her head. "He won't fight for custody and he has his reasons. I will never treat Booth the way Rebecca has treated him. He is a good father and he deserves to be in his son's life more than he is . . . He's talked to Parker twice since he was whisked off to England and the child is calmer now that he knows that Booth isn't angry with him. Parker is caught in between a rather no-win situation, but Booth made sure that Parker knows that he's loved and that we look forward to seeing him when we can."

"Poor kid." Angela sat down on the couch. "My Dad always took me with him on tour, so I can kind of see why Rebecca did what she did, but I didn't have a Mom, so not really . . . it's just a mess."

"Yes, it is." Brennan hated that Booth had been blindsided by his ex. If she had talked to him, Brennan felt that Booth would have felt less used, made to feel like his role in Parker's life wasn't very important. She knew that she could never be as cruel as Rebecca is. "Rebecca is ambitious and apparently she won't allow anyone to get in her way . . . there are two other lives involved in her life, but she has decided that they don't really matter when it comes to her aspirations . . . When I was working hard to get where I am, I was single. The only person that my decisions affected was me. Now that I have Booth in my life, I know that I would evaluate the situation and I would do what was best for both of us, just like he would. It's alright to be ambitious, after all I'm ambitious. It is not alright to be heartless and cruel while seeking fame and adulation in your chosen field."

Angela sighed. "Booth is pretty strong. Me? I'd I have probably have gone ape shit . . . When can he see Parker again?"

"Parker is coming back the first week in July and will be with us until mid-August." Brennan smiled. "Booth is trying to talk his friend into letting him use his cabin for at least a week in late July. Parker loved that cabin . . . I think because of the nearby lake. The boy loves to swim."

A crash down the hallway got both of their attention. "I don't think I want to know what just happened."

Brennan laughed. "Hodgins is supposed to be doing an experiment to determine what the liquid is that was found on the body of our latest murder victim. The viscosity is disturbing. Our victim didn't drown, but the body is covered in a rather sticky gel. Hodgins thinks that it might point to the murder scene since no such liquid was found where the body was dumped."

"Well, if he's fooling around with sticky liquids, then I am definitely staying away." Angela stood up. "I had to have the car detailed the last time one of his experiment went wrong. I think this time, I'm going to make him take a shower in the decontamination shower before we leave. I may even make him wear a towel and throw his clothes away . . . he does look rather yummy in a towel . . . or nothing at all for that matter."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Sweets wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew that Booth wasn't being himself. The man had remained silent during Deputy Director Bishop's meeting. That was very unusual and from the stares the agent had received during the meeting, he wasn't the only one who had noticed.

Straightening his tie, Sweets felt nervous but determined. "Hey Booth, may I talk to you for a minute?"

"No." Booth wasn't in the mood for one of Sweets nosy psychobabble sessions. "I'm busy." He continued to type an email to Agent Rogers and hoped that his young friend would take the hint and leave.

He didn't of course. Sweets walked into the room and sat down on the chair in front of Booth's desk. "If you and Dr. Brennan are having problems . . . I want you to know that I'm here if you need an ear to bend."

Exhaling deeply, Booth saved his draft and turned to face the younger man. "Why the hell do you think I'm having a problem with Bones?"

The tone Booth was using was dangerously hostile, but Sweets knew that if there were problems between the couple, Booth had few friends that he could talk to about it. The man was very private. "You never said anything during the meeting this morning. You have shadows under your eyes and you look like hell . . . I may not have an answer to whatever your problem is, but I can listen and maybe help you find a solution to your problem."

"It's not Bones." Booth debated whether or not to talk about his problem or not. "Bones and me are good. We aren't having any problems." He hoped that would satisfy the psychologist.

Of course it didn't. "If you're not having problems with Dr. Brennan then something else is causing you emotional turmoil. I'm here, talk to me."

"Rebecca, my ex, has moved to England and she's taken my son Parker with her." That seemed clear enough. "She packed up her house while I was on vacation and when I brought my boy back, she left for the airport. No warning. She just flew to England with my son. I didn't find out what was going on until it was my turn to have Parker for a weekend."

"Oh." Sweets knew that Booth loved his son and that being separated from the boy would be a hardship for the Agent. "Will you have any visitation rights?" This was very worrisome.

"Yeah . . . yeah, I get him for a couple of months in the summer and a week during Christmas and Easter." Booth was still angry with Rebecca and that anger didn't seem to want to go away.

The look of hate on Booth's face was all he needed to see. "But you won't get to see him every week or so . . . have you considered fighting for custody?"

"Why is that the first thing people keep asking me?" Sweets was not helping the situation as far as Booth was concerned. "Bones, Pops . . . you. You don't think I want my boy full time? You don't think I want to be a full-time father? Of course, I've thought about it, but that isn't going to happen. Parker needs his mother. Children need their mothers."

He knew that he had touched a sore spot and that had not been his intention, but he was worried about Booth. "Children need their father's too."

His emotions very high, Booth noticed that his hands were trembling. Placing them on his knees out of sight, Booth leaned back against his chair. "You don't know what it's like to be raised without a mother. To be abandoned and left with a monster who thinks it's okay to beat the shit out of his kid just because he hates the world. You told me that you were adopted as a young boy and that you consider the couple that adopted you as your parents. You had a mother and a father . . . decent loving parents . . ." He didn't want to talk about his parents. "I don't want my son to grow up without his mother. She's very protective and she'll make sure that nothing ever happens to him. She'll protect him and love him and never just leave him behind . . . "

"Unlike your mother." He knew about Booth's background. He knew exactly what Booth was talking about.

"Okay, yeah . . . like my mother." Why was his life so complicated? He just wanted to be a father and a great partner to his Bones. Why couldn't he have a simpler life?

He wanted to help Booth, but Sweets wasn't sure how to go about it. The man was a very private individual. "What you hate about this is that Rebecca moved to England and didn't consider your rights as a father . . . but you appreciate that she is a great mother to Parker and will always protect him."

"I can count on Rebecca to make sure my boy will be safe while he's growing up." Booth was always conflicted when he talked about his ex. "When she was having trouble with Drew, she kicked him out of her house. Parker's safety and peace of mind came first. She loves our son and she protects him the best she can. She even has a nanny to watch him when he's not in school. It's been like that since he was little. Rebecca has never hit Parker, never. If she ever did I would sue for custody, but I don't have to worry about that . . . she doesn't care about me and that's alright, but she does care about our son. That means more to me than you can imagine . . . I just wish she would have stayed in this country. Being in England . . . It means that I get to see my boy less that I use to, but I do get to see him more in the summer . . . I think I'm angry, because she was underhanded about the new job. If she had been honest and up front . . . I wouldn't have liked it, but I would have accepted it . . . The way she did it, leaving like a thief in the night . . . it was like she was afraid of me . . . afraid of me. I've never done anything to make her afraid of me, never and yet . . . she made me feel . . . " He couldn't continue.

"She made you feel like you were your father, dangerous and untrustworthy." Sweets could see where Booth was leading and he hated it. "You are not your father, Booth. Think about it . . . she did what she did not because she was afraid of you . . . come on, you know that's not it."

Curious, Booth leaned forward and placed his folded arms on his desk "No? Then why? Why treat me like the enemy?"

Sweets smiled. Booth had asked the question he needed him to ask. "She's a coward. She didn't want to be the bad guy in her son's eyes, so she did all of this to avoid it. She knew she was taking Parker from you and she knew that you and your son were going to be upset. She didn't want to face you and she didn't want to deal with her son until she had to. Once she had Parker in England there was nothing to fight. If you make a big deal about it then you become the bad guy . . . it's simple. She just wants to be the good guy and still get what she wants."

"Damn. I didn't think of that." It made sense. Except for their son, Rebecca never was one to fight for what she wanted when it came to personal relationships. If things were going bad she just changed the game. His gambling drove her nuts and instead of fighting for him, she had kicked him out of her life. When she and Drew were having trouble, she kicked him out of her life too. She wanted her life to run as smoothly as possible, but life was messy and she hated it when it got bumpy. "I think you're right." His anger was still there, but not as intense as before. "Well, if she counted on me making a big stink and making myself look bad to my son, then she has another think coming . . . no, the way this is right now, I'm not the bad guy at all. Me and Parker are the ones that have been wronged. She may not want to be considered the bad guy, but that didn't work out, not really. Parker hates what she did and he blames her not me. I've done everything I can to make sure he knows that I love him and that what happened isn't his fault . . . I guess it kind of backfired on her . . . she never did understand me."

"No, clearly not." Sweets could see the Agent growing calmer and more relaxed as they talked. "I think you've handled the situation as well as can be expected . . . You do still get to see Parker in the summer and for holidays and I suppose you could fly to England to see him. It's a bad situation, but it could have been a whole lot worse . . . I admire the fact that you're placing Parker first in all of this. You're a fine man, Booth. Rebecca should appreciate it."

He was flattered. It wasn't often that he received compliments from anyone. "Yeah . . . I plan to set up a Skype account for Parker so we can talk together at least once a week or when he needs to talk to me . . . we'll work it out." He felt calmer. Maybe talking to Sweets had been what he needed. "Bones has been great during this. She was willing to back my play no matter where I took it . . . I'm pretty lucky to have her in my life."

"Yes." Sweets stood up. "If you need to talk about stuff, remember I'm available. I'm your friend and I have your back too."

"Thanks." Booth turned to face his PC. "Now go away. I have a lot of work to do."

Amused, Sweets left the office. The Agent was someone he liked and he knew that Booth like him. If he was gruff, then that was all just part of who Booth was.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	88. Chapter 88

(After "The Beginning in the End')

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The next few days were calmer for everyone. Booth had finally let go of his anger. He didn't want to let his situation with his son make him bitter. He knew that Brennan didn't deserve to live with someone like that. She had supported him and he wanted to make sure she knew that he appreciated it. "Hey Bones, let's take the weekend off and drive somewhere. Just you and me and the open road."

Glad to see Booth in a better mood, Brennan closed her laptop and faced him. "That sounds like a good idea. Do you wish to go to a specific place or do you wish it to be a random trip?"

"Do you have a preference?" He knew she was working on a new novel, so he appreciated that she was humoring him. "If you have someplace specific then we can go there, if not, we can just get on the road and drive until we find some place interesting. I'm game for either one."

She considered it for a few seconds, stood up and moved over to the couch to sit next to Booth. "I think it would be fascinating to just make an unplanned trip. There would be no pressure to see anything in particular or be somewhere in a set time frame."

That sounded like just what the doctor ordered. "Okay, Friday night we'll pack a bag and just leave Saturday morning. I'll warn Harris and Charlie that we're going to be out of pocket. If a body crops up they can get Clark to handle it." He placed his arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry I've been in a bad mood lately. I talked to Sweets and he helped me see what game Rebecca was playing. She wanted me to freak out and make a big stink about her move. She wanted me to be the bad guy, the one standing in the way of her career. Sweets thought she pulled her disappearing act so that when I found out she thought I might flip out proving that I was dangerous or something. Maybe she could have kept me from seeing Parker, but I didn't play that game and she lost."

"Sweets said that?" It seemed like a very complicated scheme to Brennan.

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "Well, no he didn't say all of that, but he inferred it and I got it."

Whatever Sweets had said seemed to have helped calm Booth down, so she wasn't going to question what they talked about. "Good . . . We will have a relaxing weekend and we will be refreshed for next week."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Their weekend trip turned out to be a drive into a Virginia, a stop at a hotel and that was as far as they got on their adventure. Brennan decided that she wanted to make love to Booth for the rest of the weekend with an occasional break for food and personal needs. Booth thought it was a brilliant idea and by Sunday afternoon, he was blissfully tired. "Okay, we have to behave Bones. I need the strength to drive back home this evening or you do. Someone has to drive us home."

Brennan found the whole thing to be amusing. "Well, if you insist." Moving from the bed, she gathered up their clothes from the dresser and began to pack. "We could have done this at home, but this allowed us to have uninterrupted time together. It seems like someone is always appearing at our door on the weekend to disrupt our plans. I believe this idea might be worth repeating in the future."

Booth chuckled. "Anytime, Bones, anytime." He hadn't felt this relaxed in days and he knew that it was all because of his partner. His eyes closed, he thought about how lucky he was to have Brennan on his side. "I'm glad I turned Colonel Pelant down. I don't want to be away from you let alone for a year."

Not sure what Booth was talking about, Brennan stopped packing and turned to face her lover. "Who is Colonel Pelant and what are you talking about?"

Realizing that he had let his mouth run on autopilot, Booth opened his eyes and sat up. "My former CO tracked me down a couple of weeks ago and tried to get me to reup for something overseas. It would have involved a year of my time. I turned him down. I don't know why he was asking me to go, but he wasted his time."

Thoughtful, she moved over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I turned him down, so there wasn't anything to tell." Booth knew that Brennan was probably upset that he had kept that a secret. "I'm sorry. I should have told you. I just didn't think it was that important. I'm not going anywhere. I'm with you one hundred percent."

She knew that Booth thought she was angry, but she wasn't. "I'm not upset, Booth. I . . . when we got back from the cabin I found a letter from Dr. Dean Fonte. He offered me a position on the Maluku dig. I would have had to commit to a year at the dig. I turned him down . . . It would seem that we were both confronted by someone trying to entice us into leaving for a prolonged period of time. That is quite a coincidence."

"It's weird." Booth tried not to be suspicious, but it seemed damned odd to him. "You know how I feel about coincidences . . . Well, we turned them down and no one can make us take jobs we don't want to take . . . still it's weird. I don't like it."

She found it suspicious too, but if there was something going on they had foiled it. "I think it really is just a coincidence. I can't think of a reason why someone would want to interfere in our lives and separate us."

"Yeah, I'm just being paranoid." Booth vowed to call Danny when he got back to town. Danny Beck was a CIA operative and Booth considered him to be brilliant at what he did. If someone was trying to play games with his life, Danny might be able to find out who and why. "Let's not worry about it." He moved across the bed and kissed Brennan. "Let's rest for a while then pack. We have time to get a good nap in."

"Alright." Brennan slid into bed and Booth lay beside her while they tried to relax and go to sleep. Their conversation had set off alarm bells in Booth's head and he was having a tough time letting it go.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Danny insisted on meeting Booth somewhere that was fairly quiet. Booth thought his friend was being paranoid, but he humored him. Carrying a bouquet of flowers, Booth approached Christine Brennan's grave and spotted Danny leaning against the tree near the gravestone. Once he placed the flowers on the grave, he crossed himself, said a prayer and crossed himself again. This was the first time he had been the grave without Brennan and it felt a little odd. "Okay Danny, I'm here. Why the James Bones schtick?"

A quick glance around, Danny straightened, but remained where he was. "There are people interested in you that shouldn't be . . . A Deputy Director of Homeland Security has been making inquiries about you and Dr. Brennan. I'm not sure why."

"How do you know that?" Booth found this conversation was quickly turning surreal.

"Let's just say that someone is keeping an eye on the Deputy Director of Homeland Security and that someone found out that the man is keeping a list. It's an unusual list . . . Mostly very patriotic federal employees like yourself. Patriots that have served their country and are beyond reproach."

Booth stared at the gravestone in front of him. "The CIA is keeping tabs on the guy? Why?"

"Of course not. It's illegal for the CIA to operate in this country. You know that." Danny didn't want Booth pointing fingers at the Agency. "Let's just say that a friend is keeping me informed. He came across something that upset him and he contacted me because he knows I'm a concerned citizen." _Get it Booth?_

"Alright." Booth considered what Danny had told him. "I told you that Colonel Pelant approached me and tried to get me to take an assignment overseas for a year. Someone offered Dr. Brennan a job in the Maluku's too. It almost seems like someone is trying to break up my partnership and they want us out of the country."

Danny nodded his head. "You aren't being paranoid, Booth. My guy says our person of interest approached Colonel Pelant about a month ago. He only knows there was a meeting, but not what it was about. I don't know anything about the Maluku thing except it's a legitimate archeological project."

"I don't think I like this." To be honest, Booth hated this situation. "Why would anyone be interested in me or Bones? I don't like it at all."

"No one likes it Booth." Danny and his supervisor were looking into a few things, but so far there were just suspicions and nothing to point to a conspiracy or anything illegal going on. "Our person of interest has been associating with other persons of interest, but so far we don't know what's going on. The CIA can't get involved in any investigations in this country, so our hands are tied. We are keeping our eyes open and our ears to the ground because something doesn't seem right, but so far we don't have anything that we can point to that seems dangerous. If we do we'll pass it on to the FBI like we're supposed to. Right now, I think Homeland Security has a problem, but we can't pinpoint what it is."

Booth glanced at Danny then back at the gravestone. "Why are you and your friend interested in our person of interest?"

Cautiously, the CIA agent looked around to make sure they were still alone. "A federal employee was murdered four months ago. It was made to look like a robbery, but the victim had left a letter with his ex-wife that he wanted it mailed if anything happened to him. My friend found some very interesting and very disturbing information in that letter. Unfortunately, there was supposed to be some proof that was supposed to point to some interesting behavior going on by our person of interest, but the victim's house and office was ransacked around the time he was murdered and so whatever he had left for my friend was lost. All we have is a damning letter and not much else . . . We can't legally look into what's going on, so I asked my friend for a favor. He promised to look into it and once he did . . . well, he's says our person of interest is acting mighty shady. He's doing what he can, but he has to be careful he doesn't become a murder victim himself . . . It's that serious."

"What the hell does this have to do with me?" Booth was worried. "I work with the FBI not Homeland Security and if someone thinks they can convince me to betray my country they're looking at the wrong guy."

"I know that, Booth. Shit everyone knows that." Danny sighed. "We don't know what's going on, but we're trying to find out. I recommend you just keep doing your job and be a good boy. If someone approaches you about anything skeezy you call me."

His right hand in his pants pocket, Booth clutched his dice. "I wish I knew what to look for . . . Do you think there may be traitors in the FBI?" He prayed that wasn't true. "Damn it! Deputy Director Kirby . . . what if this has to do with that . . . Is it possible that Kirby was into more than being part of a criminal organization?"

That was a good question as far as Danny was concerned. "I don't know . . . It might be worth looking into. You sure wrecked that operation . . . you and your squints. Maybe our person of interest is trying to avoid that happening again . . . I have some people I need to talk to. You keep your eyes open and don't trust anyone."

"Not a problem. I don't have very many people that I trust as it is." Booth knew that there was nothing he could do right now. He'd keep his eyes open and make note of anyone at the FBI that was acting suspicious. It was all he could do for the moment. "No one better fuck with me or Bones. They won't like what I do to them if they do."

A little salute and Danny walked away. Booth's question about the late unlamented Deputy Director was insightful and worrisome. If there was something else going on, they needed to find out what it was.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	89. Chapter 89

(After 'The Beginning in the End')

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

A few weeks had gone by and Danny Beck asked that Booth meet him at the cemetery once more. Not sure what he was about to hear, Booth showed up in front of Christine Brennan's gravesite with flowers at an agreed time.

Once more, Danny was leaning against the oak tree near Christine's grave making sure that Booth hadn't been followed. He was starting to feel like he had stepped into a potential mine field and he had no choice, but to move on. "Nice flowers."

Ignoring the CIA agent, Booth leaned over and placed the flowers in front of the headstone. After a quick prayer for partner's mother, Booth remained where he was. "What's up? Why the meet?"

Confident that they weren't being watched, Danny removed his sunglasses and placed them in his jacket pocket. "My boss decided to do a little digging into the Kirby case. He has some pretty good contacts at the FBI and the Justice Department and he was told some interesting things. That whole thing with Kirby had been unexpected and it had shaken up the Director of the FBI pretty good. The investigation in to Kirby's activities seemed pretty straightforward on the surface, but my boss decided to look deeper and he didn't like what he found. Using that information, he thought it might be a good idea to use the late unlamented Deputy Director as ground zero to start his investigation into what might be really going on now . . . We're trying not to draw attention to what we're doing . . . or not doing depending upon who you talk to . . . anyways, a protégé of the Deputy Director who was never connected to the Kirby mess or the murder of Gus Harper is a congressman now, Congressman Abbot . . . you know him?"

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, who hasn't? Former FBI Agent. He was known to be a friend of Kirby which created a lot of suspicion, but the man had an unblemished record. Made it to Assistant SAC before he retired. What about him?"

"He's been making some noise about the FBI's connection to the Jeffersonian. He thinks it's a huge waste of money and he wants the connection to be severed. He's not getting any traction from the other congressman though and the FBI is fighting him. I know the Director of the FBI has talked to several congressmen to try to stop Abbot's activity.

He hadn't heard about it and wondered why. "Does Abbot have any connections to your person of interest?"

"Funny you should ask." Danny folded his arms against his chest. "Yes, he does. I can't tell you what that connection is right now, but let's just say we're interested . . . My boss thinks this is why Colonel Pelant and Dr. Fonte were brought in. If you two were to leave for a year, Abbot could use that as an excuse to shut down the FBI/Jeffersonian partnership. What we want to know is why he wants it shut down. Unfortunately, right now, we don't have a clue what Abbot's motives are. For now, we recommend that you do your job, try not to do anything underhanded that could jeopardize your connection to the Lab and keep an eye open. We don't know what's going on, but nothing seems urgent right now. Abbot is just one congressman and a junior one at that. No one is willing to back him on this idea of his, so your partnership is okay for now. Our person of interest isn't pushing anything at the moment, so it's just a bunch of weird shit and nothing solid to point to."

The whole thing was ridiculous as far as Booth was concerned. "This is nuts. My solve rate at the FBI is phenomenal and that is because of the help I get from Bones and her squints. Why try to shut me down? It doesn't make sense unless he wants revenge for Kirby's death. He knows that Kirby was a murderer . . . My gut tells me your Boss might be onto something, but I'm not sure how to prove it. Abbot was never connected to the murder of Gus Harper or any of the other things Kirby and his gang of traitors did. Getting revenge for Kirby could backfire on him since the Deputy Director murdered several men including an FBI Agent and the Justice Department cleaned house at the FBI after he was murdered. Abbot is practically painting a target on himself."

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't make sense now, but it might down the road. We just have to be patient . . . I guess you've talked to Dr. Brennan about this."

"Of course, she's my partner." Booth wasn't keeping secrets from Brennan unless he had to. "She needs to know what's going on."

"Well, don't tell anyone else." Danny placed his sunglasses back on. "Everything is nebulous right now. Nothing is concrete. Just keep in mind that Kirby might still have some people in the FBI that were never officially connected to his dirty business. Be careful who you trust. I just wish I knew what our of person of interest is up to. My gut tells me he had something to do with that murder I told you about. His victim had something on him, but damned if I know what it is and we can't prove he was involved."

Booth watched Danny walk away. He felt frustrated for the moment, but he would make sure to talk to Brennan and make sure she didn't mention any of this stuff to anyone else. At this point, he didn't know who he was supposed to trust or not. "Damn it!"

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth was sitting in the Royal Diner enjoying a cup of coffee when Max entered the building and sat down beside him.

"Booth . . . hey." Max tried to appear as if their meeting was a chance meeting. "It's good to see you. How you been?"

Something seemed odd, but Booth couldn't quite place it. "I'm fine . . . what are you doing here?"

Max shrugged his shoulders, lifted his hand to get the attention of the server behind the counter and ordered a cup of coffee and a donut. "I needed a cup of coffee . . . so . . . you've been to my wife's grave a couple of times in the last month . . . why?"

"You're following me?" Booth wasn't sure whether he should be upset or not. Max had his own agendas and he was rarely forthcoming. "If you are, I'd advise you to stop it right now."

Amused, Max watched Jane set his cup of coffee and a donut on the counter in front of him. "I'm not following you . . . should I be?"

Picking up his cup of coffee, Booth moved over to a free table near the front of the Diner. Max followed him and sat down across from him. "Someone left flowers at my wife's grave. Since they weren't from me, I asked the groundkeeper to keep an eye on my wife's grave. He let me know when you visited Christine's grave, left some flowers and talked to someone that he didn't recognize . . . I want to know what's going on? Is someone from my past causing you or Tempe trouble? If they are then you need to let me handle it."

Annoyed, Booth drank some coffee and tried to make up his mind what to do with Max. "This has nothing to do with you. You need to mind your own business."

Suspicious, Max leaned back against his chair and stared at the younger man. "Once you moved in with my daughter, your business became my business. If whatever is going on can affect my daughter's safety this it is very much my business."

Booth needed Max to back off. "Danny is a friend of mine. He's CIA. He needed some info and I gave it to him. End of story. Now back off."

More than a little alarmed, Max stoically nodded his head. "Alright." There was no way that was going to happen. Something was going on and he was going to find out what it was. "You say back off and I will . . . How's Tempe?"

"She's fine. Call her sometime." Wary of Max's intentions, Booth decided to warn Danny. The last thing they needed was Max sticking his nose into their business and getting killed. "You can come by for dinner sometime. Just call me to see what time we'll be home."

"Thanks, maybe I will." Max ate his donut and drank his coffee in silence. Once he was done, he wiped his sticky fingers with a napkin. "You'd tell me if my daughter was in danger?"

Irritated, Booth exhaled deeply. "Max nothing is going on to endanger Bones. Give it a rest." He vowed the next time he met Danny it would not be at the cemetery. Standing, Booth glanced around then back at Max. "Stop following me around." With that warning he left.

 _I think you protest too much, Booth._ Max was certain that something serious was going on and he was determined to find out what it was. _No one talks to the CIA unless they have a good reason to. At least not secretly._

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

"Guess who I saw this morning?" Booth was looking at his menu and debating what he wanted for lunch.

Her mind made up about lunch, Brennan placed the menu down. "Do you really wish me to guess or is this a rhetorical question?"

Amused, Booth looked over his menu. "Max showed up here while I was trying to enjoy a cup of coffee."

"What did he want?" Brennan hadn't heard from her father in several weeks and was a little miffed at him.

He knew that his girlfriend wasn't happy with her father at the moment. "He found out about the flowers I placed on your mother's grave and he wanted to know what I was up to . . . I think he's been following me around. He says he isn't doing that, but I don't believe him. I told him to back off, but Max is going to do what he wants to do."

Worried, Brennan lowered her voice. "His interference is going to get him hurt or killed someday . . . Since we don't know what is going on, he may be jeopardizing his life."

"Bones, Danny said he didn't know what was going on, but he didn't seem to think we're in danger at least not right now. Abbot is trying to screw up or partnership, but that's all . . . Be alert, but don't be afraid. You can't live your life scared."

"I'm not afraid." Brennan noticed the server approach, gave her order to Jane, waited for Booth to give his order and continued their conversation once they were alone. "I just think Max following you around will bring him to the attention of that person of interest Danny told you about. Since Max was tried for the murder of Kirby, he may have enemies that he is not aware of. Congressman Abbott is worrisome and his connection to the person of interest who is interested in us is rather disturbing . . . Perhaps we should tell Max what's going on. After all, he is the one who killed Kirby and Kirby's death may be why we are being targeted by Abbot."

Booth thought about it. "The next time one of us sees Max we'll tell him what we know. You're right, he killed Kirby and he could end up being a target. Danny mentioned the murder of a federal employee and that was why they started to look at the person of interest . . . look that's a mouthful. Let's call the guy Asshole . . . Asshole may be dangerous, but so far, he just seems to be trying to screw with our lives because Abbot asked him to. Abbot wants our partnership broken for some reason and it looks like he's willing to help Abbot to get what he wants. Maybe it has to do with Kirby and maybe not. Danny's friend is going to keep an eye on Asshole and if there's anything to worry about it'll come out sooner or later."

"I wonder why Max has been following you." She found her father to be unfathomable sometimes.

"Who knows." Booth glanced out of the window. "Max may have heard something from someone . . . He did have someone watching you and Russ when we started to look into your mother's death . . . Maybe that person is still watching you. I wouldn't put it past Max . . . Let's just talk to him. I didn't want to get him involved, so I told him to back off. That might have been a bad idea. Maybe we can play a little quid pro quo. He tells us why he's been following me and we tell him about Asshole."

Brennan nodded her head. "Our lives are very complicated . . . but interesting."

"Yeah, interesting." Booth thought he could use a little less complication and a little more boring.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	90. Chapter 90

(After 'The Beginning in the End')

Thank you for reviewing my story. It is the only way I can tell if you are still interested in it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The boy saw his father, pulled away from the flight attendant and rushed towards Booth. "Dad . . . Daddy." Parker was so excited to see his father. It had been a long month and in all of that time he still feared that his father might be angry with him for moving to England. During several phone calls the boy had apologized and each time his father had told him it wasn't his fault, but he needed to tell his father in person, he needed to make sure. "Dad . . . Dad." His father racing towards him, the boy threw himself at his father and Booth caught him. "Daddy . . . Dad." The child held his arms tightly around Booth while Booth kissed his cheek and told him he loved him.

The flight attendant arrived next to them and turned to stare at Brennan. "I really need to see some ID."

Her eyes filled with tears, Brennan removed Booth's wallet from his pants pocket, found his ID and driver's license and showed the attendant both. "Do you have something I need to sign?" Holding Booth's wallet, Brennan signed off on Parker's transfer while Booth carried his son over to some chairs and sat down.

Holding the boy on his lap, he waited for Parker to stop crying. He knew the boy had been under a lot of pressure and hated that Rebecca couldn't see it. "It's okay, Parker. It's okay." As Brennan sat down next to them, he reached out with his free hand and patted her knee. He appreciated that she was there to support him.

Soon the boy quit crying and Brennan handed him some tissues. After he wiped his eyes and blew his nose, he cleared his throat. "Thanks Bones."

"You're welcome." She took the soggy tissues, threw them in a trash can and sat back down. "We missed you."

"I missed you and Dad too." Parker wriggled and stepped down from Booth's lap. "Mom said I can stay until the third week of August."

Booth smiled. "I know. You get to spend two months with us. I've talked to my friend that owns the cabin and we can go up in three weeks and spend a week."

"Oh boy!" Parker loved that cabin. "Dad, I didn't know I was moving to England. I would have told you."

"I know, Parker. None of this was your fault." Booth placed his hands around the boy's wrists and pulled him between his knees. "Hey, nothing is wrong between us. I love you . . . okay?"

Relieved, Parker smiled. "I love you too, Dad."

Brennan knew that the two needed this reunion and that it would help both of them. It was the distance between them that had frightened them. "Your bedroom is ready for you, Parker. Your great-grandfather is at the house waiting for us. We're going to have a barbecue tomorrow and my father and your Uncle Jared plan to come."

Excited, Parker jumped up and down using his father's knees to balance. "Oh boy. I missed Pops."

"And he missed you, Sport." Booth moved the boy away and stood up. "Okay, let's get your bags and go home."

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Hank was waiting for the boy in the open doorway, when his great-grandson rushed up the sidewalk to the house. "Hey there Parker." He held out his open arms and waited for the boy to hug him.

Remembering his father's caution about his grandfather being frailer than normal, the boy stopped and was careful how he placed his arms around the man's hips. "I missed you, Pops . . . Dad and Bones said we're having a barbecue tomorrow."

"We are." Hank smiled at Booth as he stopped in front of the door, his hands filled with luggage. "Come on, let's go into the kitchen and have some ice cream."

"Hey now." Booth followed the boy in to the house, Brennan following behind him with her hands filled with grocery sacks. "We're going to start lunch in an hour."

Hank glanced back at his grandson. "A small bowl of ice cream won't hurt anyone, Shrimp." Moving into the kitchen with Parker in tow, Hank shook his head.

Glancing at Brennan, Booth rolled his eyes. "He forgets how many times he told me when I was a kid that I couldn't eat junk food before lunch."

Amused, Brennan laughed. "Or how many times I have told you the same thing in the past year."

"Yeah, yeah. You know I only eat a spoon or two to tide me over." Booth tried to hide his smile, but failed. "My boy does like ice cream just like his old man." He was proud of his son. The boy rarely gave him or Rebecca any trouble. When he did, it was just because he had so much energy to burn, he couldn't contain it all. "A small bowl of ice cream won't hurt him I guess."

Carrying her sacks into the kitchen while Booth carried Parker's luggage into his bedroom, Brennan stopped in the doorway. "Small bowls, Parker. You know your father is going to fuss if he sees those soup bowls."

Reluctantly, the boy placed them back in the cabinet and pulled out some smaller dessert bowls. Placing them down on the counter, he hopped off the step stool, folded it and carried it over to the pantry. "I'm hungry."

"Lunch will be ready in about one hour." Brennan heard Hank mutter as she placed her grocery sacks on the counter.

"Party pooper."

She decided to ignore the old man. She knew he didn't mean any harm and she was right about the size of the bowls. Booth might like dessert, but he was a great believer in eating meals in proper order. She also knew that he was sensitive to Rebecca's accusations that he didn't feed their son properly. Brennan knew that wasn't true, but Rebecca assumed a lot and Brennan found that to be unreasonable and very annoying.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Lunch was a success and after the dish washer was loaded, Brennan leaned closer to Booth and whispered in his ear. "Are you going to talk to Parker now or later?"

Booth glanced at the empty doorway and pulled Brennan into his arms. His lips near her ear, he spoke quietly. "I'll go talk to him now. Do you want to be there? It's alright if you do."

"I think you should speak to him by yourself. He might be more inclined to tell you the truth if you're alone. I don't want him to feel pressured in anyway." Before Parker had arrived, Brennan had brought up something that Booth hadn't considered. "What if Parker doesn't want to live in England with his mother? As far as I know, no one has asked him what he wants."

Booth had realized that Brennan was right. He had been so angry with Rebecca and Rebecca was so busy moving into her new job that neither had considered what Parker really wanted. He wanted his son to live with his mother, but not if the boy hated the idea. He wanted Parker to be happy, but he was afraid that might not be possible when it came to his parents. Booth was going to let the boy decide the next move when it came to living arrangements.

He lowered his head and kissed her neck. "You are going to be a great Mom someday." They had been trying to have a baby for the last month, but so far nothing was happening. Neither was discouraged. Brennan was confident it was just a matter of time since Booth was so fertile and she was healthy and Booth was willing to try as much as possible.

"Thank you. I hope you're right." She worried that she might not be able to bond with their child once it was born. Booth had told her many times she had nothing to worry about, but that fear never seemed to go away. "Go talk to Parker."

He moved his head so his lips covered hers. Once they had satisfied their need for an intimate moment, they both separated. "I like kissing you."

Her smile bright, Brennan pushed Booth away. "Go talk to Parker. I believe you're stalling . . . stalling?"

"Yeah, stalling, you got that right . . . and yeah maybe I am." Booth turned and left the room.

Once he was gone, Brennan sat down at the kitchen table to wait. She wanted both Parker and Booth to be happy, but she wasn't sure that was possible in this situation.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The boy was in the man cave playing a video game. Booth had consulted with Sweets to determine the latest video games for a boy Parker's age and had bought three the previous weekend.

"Parker." Booth stood at the bottom of the steps. "I'd like you to turn off the game for a little while. I need to talk to you."

His father sounded so serious and that made Parker nervous. "Sure Dad . . . Did I do something wrong?"

"No of course not." Booth sat on the couch next to his son. "Bones and I were talking before you came back and we realized that no one has asked you what you think about what is going on. I want to be fair or as fair as I can be . . . Do you want to live in England with your mother? You don't have to answer the question right away. You can take all the time you need to answer it. And this is very important . . . there is no right or wrong answer. Okay? I want your honest opinion. You think about what you want. Not what I want or what your Mom wants. It's okay to think about you and what you want."

Surprised that his father was asking him for his opinion, Parker turned the game off and placed the control down. "Um . . . well, I'm not sure. I've been thinking about it since Mom took me to England. At first I was really mad at her and . . ." He blushed. Did he have a right to say that he was mad with her?

"It's okay, just tell me what you think." Booth wanted the boy's honesty in this situation. "I'm not going to tell your Mom what you say."

"Okay." Parker started over. "At first I was mad because Mom just put me on a plane and then we were in England. I was scared that you'd be mad at me, but then I talked to you and you said you weren't mad, but I was still mad at her . . . Mom cried you know. I yelled at her and I told her I hated her. I don't hate her, but I was mad because I didn't get to say good-bye to you and I didn't want you to hate me."

He knew that the boy had been under too much pressure. "I was never mad at you Parker and I could never hate you, so just put that out of your mind right now."

The boy nodded his head. "She cried and I felt really bad because I shouldn't have said that I hate her when I don't. I told her I was sorry and she told me she was sorry and she wished she had done stuff differently. She told me she was just worried that you might try to stop her from moving and she thinks that England will change things for her and me. She said she thinks I'll be safer . . . Mom hated the school I was going to, but she couldn't find one she liked. I don't know why she hated it, she liked it last year. Anyway . . . She found this neat school that teaches cool stuff like what the Jeffersonian does during the summer, but all the time. Plus, they do other stuff like they do plays and students are even allowed to write them and if your classmates like them they get to do your play . . . That is so awesome Dad. I didn't know that schools do stuff like that and I kind of like that . . . Anyway, Mom apologized to me about not letting me say goodbye to you and she told me that she wouldn't do that again . . . Mom is a good Mom, Dad . . . like you're a good Dad. I love you both." He stopped since he had been speaking so fast and he was now breathless. He wanted his father to understand what he was saying.

Booth smiled to encourage the boy and waited to see what he would say. His son had obviously had time to see what it was going to be like to live in England and he appeared to be eager to go to his new school.

"I want to live with you Dad, but if I did that Mom would be alone." Parker sighed. He wasn't sure what he wanted, but he knew what he didn't want. "You have Bones and Pops and Grandpa Max and Uncle Jared, but if I live here, Mom wouldn't have anyone to be with her . . . that would be bad, wouldn't it?"

He knew that the boy was trying to tell him that he wanted to live with his mother, but he was afraid to say so. "Yes, it would be bad. If you want to live with your mother then that's okay, Parker. I promise . . . It looks like you thought the whole thing out and it sounds right for you."

Relieved, Parker stood up, leaned over and hugged his father. "I don't want you to be lonely, but Mom would be lonelier and I don't want her to be all alone in England."

Sad for his son and for himself, Booth hugged the boy. "You're a great kid, Parker. I've always said so. You want to live with your Mom and that's okay. We'll visit in the summer and during the holidays."

"Thanks, Dad." Parker was glad his father had asked him. He was glad someone had asked him and he got the chance to explain. He loved his father so much and he loved his mother too. Choosing where to live was a hard decision, but he knew it was the right one for him. His mother needed someone to protect her and he couldn't do it if he wasn't in England with her.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"I talked to Parker, he wants to live with his mother." Booth was disappointed, but he wanted his son to be happy. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he sat down next to Brennan at the kitchen table. "He said a couple of weird things when I was talking to him. He said that Rebecca thought the move will change things for both her and Parker and that he'll be safer. Also, she hated the school Parker was going to. She loved that school last year, so why the change and what does she mean by safer?"

"Did Parker mention being bullied at the school?" Brennan also found Rebecca's change of heart to be odd.

Booth shook his head. "No. He said he didn't know why she hated the school. I think I should talk to her. My gut tells me that something is going on and I need to know what it is."

"I think so too." Brennan took the bottle of beer from Booth's hand, sipped some of the brew and returned the bottle to him. "Her move to England was quite sudden." She was now starting to wonder why it was so sudden.

"I'm starting to wonder about that too." Booth felt that Rebecca was hiding something and he needed to know what it was.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	91. Chapter 91

(After "The Beginning in the End')

Thank you for reviewing my story. It is a little complicated right now, but hopefully it makes sense.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Booth tried to time the call to Rebecca so that he could catch her before she went to her office. He made his call at three in the morning Eastern Standard Time and hoped that she answered.

" _Rebecca Stinson."_

"Hey, Rebecca, it's Seeley." He hoped this conversation didn't end in an argument. "Parker got here fine . . . I need to talk to you about something. I was talking to Parker and he told me that you hated his school over here and you were scared for him. Is there something I need to know?"

 _I'm not sure really. A little over two months ago, about four weeks before we moved to England, someone tried to sign Parker out of school. The office manager was going to allow it, but the principal stopped it. You know we had explicit instructions that if someone wasn't on the list then Parker couldn't go with him or her . . . We also had instructions that we must be told if someone tries to take Parker from the school. Principal Walters called me about it. I went down to the school to get a copy of the paper the man had tried to use to sign out Parker, but the office manager had thrown it away. I was furious of course. She was very defensive and told me that she hadn't done anything wrong, but of course she had and the principal backed her up . . . It worried me believe me. Then Parker's nanny told me that someone was watching them whenever they went to the park and a few times she noticed that the same car followed her home from Parker's school. I hired a detective to see what was going on and the man I hired, Harry White confronted the stalker when he found him. The stalker is Bud Carson and he told Harry that he was a reporter working on a story. Harry got a friend of his at Metro Police to run the plates on Carson's car and he found out that Carson isn't a reporter. He's actually a retired Baltimore police officer. I don't know if Carson was the one who tried to kidnap Parker or not. The office manager at Parker's school destroyed the only evidence I could have used to confront him . . . The camera they have at the school is aimed at the parking lot and it was broke at the time. I was afraid Seeley. Someone was stalking our son and I thought it might have to do with a case I was working on. I don't care if someone is stalking me. I can take care of myself, but not Parker, Seeley. I told Darren, one of the partners at my law firm about what was going on and it rang a few alarm bells with him too. He agreed with me that it might be the Simmons case. Alan Simmons is suing Kerry Blakley in court for millions and Blakley is very dangerous. His enemies have a tendency to disappear and never be heard from again. I don't think he'd bat an eye if he had to kidnap or kill a child to send a warning. Darren offered me the new position in England and I took it._

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Booth was angry. Too many things were going on and he couldn't get a handle on any of it. "You should have told me."

 _I handled it, Seeley. I took the job here in London to get Parker out of harm's way. The Simmons case is big and it could have led to a partnership for me when it was over, but I had to think of Parker first. This job in London will get me a partnership, just not right away and I won't have to worry about our son's safety._

He was angry that he had been kept in the dark, but now that he knew, he understood why Rebecca had been so quick to get out of town. He just wished she had trusted him and told him about it. He grabbed a notebook near the phone and jotted down Bud Carson's name and Kerry Blakley. "Okay, I get it, but you should have given me a heads up. I know that the Simmons case is still going on. It's in the news every day. Do you think Parker is in danger being back in the states?"

 _No, I'm not the lead on the Simmons case anymore. James Tyler took over the case for me and he's been warned about Bud Carson. Darren has hired a bodyguard to keep an eye on James' wife until the case is over. It's a dangerous game Blakley is playing, but he doesn't have a reason to go after Parker now._

"Well, I'm going to keep an eye on him while he's here." Booth would make sure that his son was with someone he could trust at all times. "You should have told me what was going on, but that's water under the bridge. I'll have Parker call you every night around eight our time while he's here."

 _Alright. I have to go. I'll talk to Parker tonight._

The call ended, Booth sighed. He was going to pay a visit to Bud Carson. He needed more information.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

He tried to be quiet when he entered the bedroom, but he wasn't quiet enough. Brennan sat up and hugged her knees. "What did Rebecca say?"

Booth sat down on the mattress next to Brennan and placed his hand on one of her feet. "It's bad. She was working on the Simmons case, you know the one that's in the news all the time?"

Brennan nodded her head.

"Some guy tried to sign Parker out of school several weeks ago and he wasn't on our list. It was a close call. The principal stopped it from happening . . . Rebecca says she hired a detective named Harry White because Parker's nanny claimed she was being followed a lot from school to home. The detective tracked down the stalker and found out he's a retired Baltimore Police Officer named Bud Carson. Mr. White couldn't prove that Carson was the one who tried to kidnap Parker since the school doesn't have any video feed on campus except for the parking lot and she was told that the camera was broke at the time . . . An expensive school and their security is shit . . . My gut tells me that the office manager was paid off to do the shit she did, including making sure the camera wasn't working . . . Rebecca was afraid that Parker was in danger and one of the partners at her law firm agreed with her. He offered her the job in London to get her and Parker out of town and the case was turned over to someone else. It's galling that she couldn't trust me to tell me what was going on. Attempted kidnapping is a crime and she didn't call the police. It's just unbelievable . . . I'm going to look into that believe me."

Worried about Parker, Brennan bit her lower lip and thought about it for a few seconds. "Rebecca is assuming that this is about the Simmons case."

"What do you mean?" Booth was surprised that Brennan thought something else was going on.

"What if this has nothing to do with the Simmons case but is connected Danny's person of interest?"

That thought had never crossed his mind. "If it is then Parker being back here could put him danger . . . Damn it. I better call Danny tomorrow. I wish I knew what the hell was going on . . . When Max gets here tomorrow for the barbecue I plan to talk to him and warn him. I hate to sound paranoid, but . . . well, I'm offered a job in Afghanistan and you a dig in the Malukus. Danny tells me that we have a congressman that had connections to Deputy Director Kirby who wants to shut down the contract the FBI has with the Jeffersonian and now Rebecca tells me that someone tried to kidnap Parker . . . I think this is all connected. How and why, I don't know, but something is wrong and it looks like we're smack in the middle of it."

"I agree, the facts are pointing towards a conspiracy aimed at us. Why I have no idea." Brennan was worried. "I think we should invite Dad to stay with us while Parker is here for the summer. He can watch him while we're at work. He would do a better job than a baby sitter could. Plus, if this is about Kirby, he's connected and he needs to be warned . . . I'm going to call Russ in the morning and tell him about what's going on. He needs to be wary of strangers."

"Danny said not to tell anyone else." Booth was worried that if too many people were brought into this mess that they might be placed in danger.

Brennan reached out and placed her hand on Booth's upper arm. "Russ was almost killed by Kirby. If Kirby has allies that are out for revenge then Russ could be in danger. I need to make sure he knows what's going on. He and Amy may need to send the girls to her grandparents to live for a while."

"Damn, what a mess." Booth nodded his head. "I think you're right, but we need to consider all of our options . . . when we have the barbecue tomorrow, not only do I want to talk to Max, I think we should talk to Cam, Hodgins and Angela. We could all be in danger . . . I have no idea what Congressman Abbot is up to, but if he's connected to that incident at Parker's school . . . he will not walk away from that."

His voice was menacing and it sent a shiver down Brennan's back. She knew that whoever was trying to interfere with their lives didn't know just how dangerous Booth was.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	92. Chapter 92

(After 'The Beginning in the End')

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

While Sweets played video games with Parker in the man cave, Booth, Brennan and their guests met in the living room. Hank had decided at the last minute to join them, but sat in the corner of the room out of the way. Something odd was going on, and he wanted to know what it was.

Booth glanced at Brennan then faced their friends. "Okay, I know this seems mysterious, but we had a reason to ask you to get here before the other guests show up . . . Bones and I have come across some information that could affect us all." He noticed that everyone leaned forward while Max folded his arms against his chest and leaned back against his chair. _Interesting._

Now that he had their attention, Booth started to explain. "My former CO, Colonel Pelant approached me a few weeks ago and tried to get me to sign up for something in Afghanistan. If I had agreed to do it, I would have been away from the FBI for one year."

Surprised, Cam glanced around the room and saw the same looks of surprise. "But you just had brain surgery a year ago. Technically you're still recovering from that surgery. You have a weak spot in your skull and it takes at least a year if not more for the bone to regrow and repair itself. I'd think that should have been a concern don't you think?"

That had been his first thought when Pelant had approached him and he was glad that Cam saw the same problem he did. "Yeah, Rangers have to be one hundred percent fit. If you're having health issues you can jeopardize your team. Now, I think I'm pretty healthy and most of my issues are gone, but being in a war zone and not being one hundred percent could cause some dangerous situations to crop up. Add to the fact, I didn't want to be away from Bones and my son for one year and I turned him down. The Colonel didn't like it and he didn't want to take no for an answer."

"I received a letter from Dr. Dean Fonte. He wanted me to join a dig in the Malukus." Brennan noted the same look of surprise on the faces surrounding her. "It is supposed to be a very important dig, but I turned it down because I didn't want to be away from Booth for a year."

"A year?" Max was quick to notice the same time frame. "That's quite a coincidence."

Glad that he wasn't the only one that saw a problem, Booth nodded his head. "Bones and I talked about this and we both agreed that something seemed fishy, so I contacted a friend at the CIA." He noticed the smirk on Max's face and ignored it. "This is going to get complicated, so try to let me say everything I have to say before you interrupt me."

"So, I was right that something was going on." Max had known that Booth was hiding something.

Waving his hand, Booth stopped Max. "My friend, Danny found out that someone at Homeland Security was behind the invitations. He doesn't know why the offers were made, but Danny and his boss started to look into the situation for me and they've found out some interesting stuff . . . First, the guy at HLS has been under the eye of a government agency for several months now. A federal employee was murdered four months ago and he had left a letter behind explaining that if anything happened to him then they needed to look at this guy at HLS. He also had some evidence he wanted to pass along, but after he was murdered his office was ransacked . . . You also need to know that Congressman Abbot may be involved. He's trying to shut down the partnership the FBI has with the Jeffersonian . . . I don't know if you know it, but Congressman Abbot was an Assistant SAC at the FBI and a friend of Deputy Director Kirby. He retired last year, ran for office and somehow won his seat even though he had no support from any of the other congressmen in his state or his party. He ran as an outsider."

"Kirby?" Max interrupted Booth. "Why isn't Abbot in prison?" This sounded very bad to Max.

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "Abbot was never connected to Kirby's criminal organization. His record was clean at the FBI and you can't arrest people just because their friends are scum . . . Danny and his boss are spooked about Abbot and they're trying to see why the man wants to sever ties between the FBI and the Jeffersonian . . . Danny thinks that's why Bones and I were approached with an offer that would have got us out of the way for a year. Bones is the best forensic anthropologist in the country . . ."

"The world." Brennan wanted what was due her. She had worked hard to get where she was.

"World." Booth almost laughed, but decided that Brennan might misunderstand. "Anyway, without her, our solve rate would probably decrease and that would be a way to close the partnership down. Now I don't know why Abbot wants our partnership to be shut down, but Danny says it looks like he's connected to our person of interest at HLS . . . Danny thinks that whatever is going on is very serious and he's trying like hell to find out what's going on, but his hands are tied because he can't operate in this country. He has a friend looking into it for him. I'm out of the loop on this, so I've told you everything I know. We need to keep quiet about this and make sure to only talk about it to just the people in this room . . . By the way, someone tried to kidnap Parker and that is why Rebecca took him out of the country. I didn't know that or I would have asked her to keep him in England. She thinks it's connected to a case she was working on, but Bones and I don't think so. It looks like someone named Bud Carson is involved in this. I was going to track him down, but Danny wants me to back off for the moment. Since we don't know if Carson is connected to Congressman Abbot or Rebecca's case he doesn't want me to draw attention to Carson. Danny says he'd going to ask a friend of his at Homeland Security to check into Carson and see if he can figure out if Carson is the one that tried to kidnap Parker or not. I don't like it and I made it clear that I'm not going to wait around forever, so Danny knows his friend better get the job done or I will."

Shocked, Angela placed her hand against her throat. "Oh my God, Booth. Parker is just a little boy."

Aware that the world was a cruel place, Hodgins leaned over and gripped her knee. "We don't know what's going on, but if it's bad enough to get the CIA's attention then killing a child wouldn't matter to whoever is behind this mess."

"Who Danny works for is not to be discussed with anyone else. You could be endangering his life as well as his boss." Booth was very annoyed and very worried. "Don't start throwing out conspiracy theories to anyone, Bug Boy. This is damned serious."

His hand over his mouth to hide his smile, Hodgins tried to hide the fact that he was amused. This whole thing was bizarre and it was a shame that Booth didn't see the irony of the situation. "Don't worry about it, I won't talk about this to anyone. If the CIA is involved in investigating someone at HLS then this is very serious and we can all be in danger, not just Booth and Brennan." He lowered his hand. "For years, you've all thought I was a little psycho when I talked about what is going on around us. You didn't want to listen. Maybe you will now."

Cam sighed. "I can see why you don't want Daisy, Wendell and Clark to know about this, but I think you should let Harris know what's going on. He's trustworthy and he can help you keep an eye open at the FBI. Does Sweets know?"

"Yeah." Booth nodded his head. "Danny didn't want anyone else to know, but the list keeps getting longer." Booth was starting to regret this meeting. "Look, the more people that know about this the more people's lives are in danger . . . This is serious. Someone tried to kidnap my son and his mother took it seriously enough to leave the country . . . Bones and I are going to go on vacation at that cabin that Bill owns to make this summer at least a little happy one for my boy, but I think I'm going to send him back home earlier than we planned on . . . Max, I'd like you to stay with us while Parker is with us. I trust you with my boy's life. I need you to watch over him when we're at work. When we go up to the cabin you can go with us. I'll pay all your expenses while you're with us."

"Pft." Max waved his hand sideways. "I'll do it for free. I'm the boy's grandfather now and I protect my family. I'll go home tonight and pack a couple of bags and I'll be back before midnight. I can sleep downstairs. That mattress in the guest bedroom is very comfortable, more comfortable than the one I own. I'm going to have to look into buying one of those."

"I may buy one for you for your birthday." Brennan didn't want to be completely beholden to her father. She still had moments in her life when she wasn't sure she completely trusted him, but he was loyal to his family. "Also, I'd like you to escort Parker to England when he goes home. I'll pay for the flights and if you wish to vacation in London then I will pay for that as well."

Amused, Max chuckled. "I have lots of money, Tempe. More than I'll ever use in my lifetime. You can pay for the plane tickets, but I'll pay for my own vacation."

Booth didn't care who paid for what, he just wanted Max to protect his boy. "Thanks Max."

"You're welcome." Max stood up and stretched. "Your other guests will be here soon. Let's start the grill and get the meat cooking."

It seemed that the meeting was over. "If anyone notices anything odd . . . like being followed around or someone asking personal questions or if you're feeling threatened at any time you let me know. This isn't a game. We all need to keep our heads low and not draw attention to ourselves. Danny and his boss are keeping an eye on things and they'll keep me up to date. If things change I'll let you know. Don't trust anyone outside of this circle. Don't volunteer information. Make note of anyone whose being nosy about your private life or your business. Don't trust anyone. Your safety may count on it."

Feeling a cold wave move down her back, Angela shivered. "Believe me, I'm taking this very seriously."

Brennan stood up and walked over to where Angela was sitting. She leaned over and hugged her. "I'm sorry you're involved Angela. We thought long and hard about who we should tell about this and Booth and I decided that you all needed to be warned since you work with us. If you're afraid you can always leave and move to Paris. We'll understand."

Angela stood up and gave Brennan a return hug. "If this is that bad, moving might not help anything besides you need Hodgins and me. We'll figure this out. Whatever is going on can't be completely hidden from public view. There has to be some patterns pointing to what is going on. I just need to write an algorithm that could point to what it is. I think I'll use Kirby as the focal point. He's responsible for some very terrible things and if Abbot is part of it, I may be able to prove it. I wish I knew the name of the HLS person of interest. Using Pelant, and Fonte as well as Abbot might be a good idea . . . I'll start working on it tomorrow."

"Thanks Angela." Booth knew that Angela was afraid and he admired the fact that she was willing to work with them. "Just be careful. If HLS is involved in anyway then they may be monitoring what you're doing on your computers . . . I mean it when I say don't trust anyone. Not even your computers."

"Got it." Angela felt like she had a handle on the situation. "Thank you for bringing us in on this. We may have been in danger for months and we just didn't know it. There's too many unknowns."

Hodgins stood up and moved closer to Angela. "I'm going to upgrade our alarm system at home. If anyone needs any help with that, you let me know. I'm pretty good with security systems. Cam, I'll come over to your apartment tonight and see how we can set up a system for you."

Grateful, Cam smiled. "Thank you."

Hank stood up and clapped his hands together. "Okay, Max is right. We need to start up the grill and start cooking. Your other guests will here soon and it'll look funny if we don't have any food."

He had forgot about his grandfather while they were meeting and he worried that the old man might be in danger too. "Pops would you like to move in with us? We don't know what's going on and if you'd like to move in that's fine. Max will be here in case you need something."

He was so proud of his boy. His grandson was a generous soul and he would always be grateful that Seeley had turned out the way he had. "No thank you. My retirement home has security twenty-fours a day and we're locked down at night. I'm pretty safe living there, so don't worry about me . . . I just want you to be careful. You may find out that this is just some political thing and it isn't as serious as you think. Rebecca is sure that case she was working on triggered someone going after Parker. I'm not saying blow this thing off, but it may not be as serious as you think. Congressman Abbot promised to cut down on government spending and maybe he thinks he's doing the right thing."

"I don't think this is nothing, Pops." Booth was certain he had a reason to be worried. "If the CIA is looking into this then it's pretty serious."

"Alright." Hank wished politicians would stay out of places they didn't belong. "You do what you have to do. I'll keep quiet."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	93. Chapter 93

(After 'The Beginning in the End')

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Max was impressed with the cabin. He liked the layout and the fact that there was an indoor bathroom. The fact that it was a composting toilet was rather odd, but it was interesting too. It was decided that he and Parker would share the guest bedroom while Booth and Brennan used the master bedroom.

Once the luggage was put away, Parker and Max went outside and picked up sticks and branches and carried them over to the barbecue pit while Booth hooked up the new propane tank on the back porch. Once that was accomplished, he got the mower from the shed and mowed the front and back yard.

Brennan took the opportunity to carry her new birdfeeder and a short post out to the backyard and over to the tree line behind the barbecue pit. She retrieved a shovel from the shed. Carried a bucket of water to where she planned to set up the birdfeeder and finally retrieved a small back of Quickrete from the SUV.

Once the yards were clear of branches, Parker and Max helped Brennan dig a hole for the post for the birdfeeder, poured the quickrete in the bucket and stirred it, placed the post with the birdfeeder attached into the hole and Max poured the concrete into the hole surrounding the birdfeeder. That accomplished, Parker carried the empty bag to the trash can on the back porch while Max waved at Booth who was now mowing the back yard and helped Brennan carry the buck and shovel back to the shed. Brennan washed out the bucket and placed it on a shelf.

Their task accomplished, they went back to the SUV and retrieved a large bag of bird seed and an empty plastic 20-gallon container that came with a lock down lid. "I'm going to leave the container next to the birdfeeder. Bill can feed the birds whenever he is up here." Pleased that she had accomplished what she had set out to do, she washed her hands and stepped into the kitchen to prepare lunch.

Eager to show Max the lake, Parker pointed at the path. "Come on, I'll show you the lake. It's so cool."

Glad the boy was happy, Max smiled. "Lead the way. Maybe we'll see some ducks."

"We saw some last time." Parker hurried to the path. "We saw some chipmunks too."

Max called out. "We don't have to run, Parker . . . I gave up running a long time ago."

Slowing down, the boy waited until Max caught up with him. "I'm sorry. I forgot you're old."

"Yeah, old, that's me." Where had the time gone? It only seemed like yesterday when his Tempe was Parker's age. "Well, getting old can have its advantages . . . No one can make me eat cooked liver or brussels sprouts."

"Wow you're lucky." Parker really hated liver. "Mom makes me eat that stuff. She says I need to eat it to be healthy.

Max laughed. "Well, I'm done growing and I can eat healthy without liver and brussels sprouts."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The grass cut, Booth placed the mower back in the shed and entered the cabin looking for Brennan. "Need help with lunch?"

Brennan turned to look at Booth. "No, we're just having salad and sandwiches. I want Parker to be able to tell his mother that he had salad . . . Rebecca is ridiculous. Parker eats nutritious food when he's with us. Just because we indulge him by serving him pizza once in a while does not make us terrible parents."

Amused at her outrage, Booth pulled her into his arms and kissed the end of her nose. "Pizza is one of God's perfect foods."

She laughed. "I don't think so, but it isn't terrible if you eat it once in a while. We eat vegetables and fruit and Parker is not being given an empty calorie diet." She kissed him. "Your diet has improved since living with me, but you did eat vegetables regardless of what she says."

He liked the kiss and returned it. They let their hands move over their partner's body until they remembered that Parker and Max were around somewhere. "Maybe I'll go look for Parker and see what he and Max are up to." Her released her, reached around, grabbed a small tomato and bit into it. "How long until lunch is ready."

"It should be ready in about twenty minutes." She returned to her cutting board. "I saw them walk down the path towards the lake."

"Okay, I'll be back." Once he was out of the cabin, he took in a deep breath. He loved the smell of cut grass. Moving over to the path, he finished eating the tomato and thought that owning a cabin might not be a bad idea. If only he could afford to buy a vacation home.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Max was impressed with the pavilion. It kept the chairs in the shade and it had a great view of the small lake. Parker was busy wading in the water, staying close to the water's edge. "We'll have to come down here tomorrow morning and go swimming."

Parker stopped kicking the water and faced the older man. "Dad has been teaching me how to swim. He's a good swimmer. So is Bones. They can swim to the middle of the lake." He admired his father and hoped to be like him someday.

"I used to be a good swimmer when I was a kid, but I'm out of practice." Max noticed a stranger standing on the other side of the lake looking at them with binoculars. "Parker, it's time to go back. It's probably lunchtime."

Reluctantly, the boy left the water, found his shoes and put them on. "I hope Bones makes salad. Mom likes me to eat salad every day."

"Your mother is obsessed, Parker." Max believed in a healthy diet, but he thought Booth's ex might be a health nut from the way the boy talked about her. The man was moving around the lake and Max didn't like it. "Come on. Let's go."

As they moved towards the path, Booth emerged out of the woods and smiled at them. "Hey you two, it's almost lunch time.

Max looked back and saw the stranger turn and walk away. Pointing at the retreating figured, Max made sure Booth saw the man. "We had a visitor."

His eyes boring into the stranger's back. Booth felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. "I see him." He watched the retreating figure until he disappeared in the woods. "The forest on the other side of this lake is National forest. No one owns land over there."

"Good to know." Max patted Parker's head. "Okay, let's go see what Tempe made us. I hope she made fried eel."

"Eww." The boy's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Who wants to eat eels? Yuck."

Amused, Max shrugged his shoulders. "You live in England now. The English eat eels."

Booth placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and began to walk up the path. "They eat eels in this country too. A buddy of mine is from Maine. He eats eels."

"Well, I'm not eating eels." They could make him eat liver, but Parker drew the line at eels.

Chuckling, Booth assured the boy. "We aren't eating eels. Bones is a vegetarian remember? We're having sandwiches and salad."

Relived, Parker sighed. "Thank goodness."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

After lunch, Parker and Max went outside so that Parker could birdwatch. Brennan had given him a hard-back copy of 'The Sibley Guide to Birds' and he was eager to start checking off birds as he identified them.

"There was a guy down at the lake watching Parker and Max." Booth wasn't sure if he should be worried or not. "Max said he had binoculars."

A little alarmed, Brennan draped the dish towel on the edge of the sink. "Did the man approach them?"

Booth nodded his head. "Max said he started walking around the lake until he saw me and then went back into the woods . . . That's not suspicious at all." _Damn it. "_ Yeah right . . . Maybe we're being paranoid. He might be a bird watcher or something."

"It's the something I'm worried about." The fact that someone had tried to kidnap Parker a few months prior to this was on Brennan's mind. "If Parker is being targeted . . . Like you, I think someone wants to manipulate us and since they couldn't get us to leave the country they chose another path. I think Rebecca is wrong and this had nothing to do with the case she had been working on. It's not about money either. I could be wrong, but I have a theory. I think that if someone were to kidnap Parker and ordered you to sever your partnership with me, not romantically, I'm talking about our working partnership . . . I think you would do it. Parker must come first."

A chill ran down Booth's spine. "You're right. I would . . . Damn it!" Booth ran his hand through his hair. "Until we find out what's going on, we have to assume that this might have something to do with Asshole at HLS or Congressman Abbot. I wish I knew what was going on and why they want you and me to stop working together . . . I don't know. You could be right or we could be blowing up a string of coincidences . . . although you know I don't believe in coincidence. Damn this is confusing. Danny says not to worry about it, but my gut says we need to . . . Why are we so special? This only makes sense if this has to do with Kirby, but even then, the guy is dead and was linked to a string of murders. If Abbot wants to be a big shot in government, getting revenge for Kirby will backfire on him. He'd be a fool to be involved in a kidnapping. None of this makes sense."

There weren't enough pieces to the puzzle. So far someone had tried to break up their partnership and someone had tried to kidnap Parker. They had to be connected, but there were too many questions at the moment. "Do you want to go home?"

Booth shook his head. "Nope. I have a plan."

Oooooooooooooooo

The next day, while Max and Parker swam at the lake and Brennan stayed at the cabin doing various chores in in the backyard, occasionally opening the back door and pretending to give Booth advise or instructions, Booth moved through the woods on the other side of the lake searching for binocular man. He was determined to see what was going on and to see if his boy was in danger.

As he tracked the footprints into the woods, he moved cautiously and quietly. Soon he saw a man approaching the lake down a faint path. The stranger was wearing camouflage and was carrying binoculars. Confident that this was the stranger that Max had seen, Booth stood behind some thick brush and waited for the man to pass him. As he followed the stranger from a distance, Booth noted the military bearing and the confident way the man moved through the woods.

Once the man was standing on the edge of the lake watching Max, Booth moved closer, pulled his pistol from his holster and aimed it at the man's back. "Why are you watching my boy and my father-in-law?"

As careful as he could be, the man slowly turned to face Booth making sure his hands were up. Once he was turned around, he lowered his binoculars. "I'm not watching the man and the boy. I'm bird watching."

"Why do you need a gun to bird watch?" Booth pointed at the bulge under the man's lower left pant leg.

Chuckling, the birdwatcher shook his head. "Danny said you'd make me."

Surprised, Booth didn't lower his pistol. "Danny who?"

Amused, the man placed his binoculars on the ground and pointed at his vest pocket. "May I?"

"If you try anything, I'll blow your fucking head off." And Booth meant it.

Very carefully, he removed his wallet, flipped it open and showed his CIA identification card. "Danny told me to make sure I was carrying this . . . Max isn't your father-in-law. Just so you know I know that . . . My name is Tom Jones."

Angry, Booth lowered his gun. "What the hell are you doing watching my boy and Max?"

Tom shrugged his shoulders. "Danny wanted someone to help watch your son. He and the boss talked over your situation and they decided to have me shadow Parker while he's in the country. My cover right now is a birdwatcher. If you saw me, I was going to show you my birder's list to prove it. I think you're a little more dangerous than Danny thinks you are . . . that's a good thing by the way."

"Has something changed? Does Danny know what's going on?" Booth was worried. Too many people were interested in his family. He didn't want to be part of some bullshit political game.

"Nope." Tom shook his head. "They just want to keep everything copacetic. The boy can have his vacation and once he's back in England, we think whoever is interested in him will lose interest . . . We hope so anyway. By the way, I'm officially on vacation. I'm not doing this in an official capacity."

Booth holstered his gun. "You guys are driving me nuts. Danny tells me not to worry about what is going on and then you follow my son around as a bodyguard. This is shit and you know it."

Tom shrugged his shoulders. "Look, so far we haven't heard anything to make us think that you and your family is in danger, but someone tried to snatch your son . . . Danny is having that looked into . . . unofficially. A friend in another government agency is doing us a favor. This isn't just about you and Dr. Brennan anymore. Get it?"

He did. "Fine, but when the guy is found that tried to kidnap Parker, I want to know about it,"

"Of course." _Maybe not._ Tom wasn't sure what Danny and the Boss planned, but keeping Booth happy for the moment wouldn't hurt anything. "I'm sure Danny will keep you in the loop."

Suspicious. Booth suddenly laughed. "Don't fucking kid a kidder. I worked a few operations for the CIA during my Rangers days . . . Go ahead and watch Parker. I can use the help. Next week he's going back home. No one is going to use my boy . . . I'll make sure that Rebecca gets someone to watch Parker for the time being. She can afford it."

The CIA agent smiled. "Ms. Stinson is pretty smart. I think she'll do that too once you talk to her and I'm sure you'll talk to her. Just don't do it on the phone or with your computer."

Booth nodded his head. "Max is taking Parker back home. I'll have him talk to Rebecca."

"Good." Tom glanced at his watch. "I'm going to stay here until you take the boy back to the cabin and then I'll break for lunch . . . nice job hunting me down by the way."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	94. Chapter 94

(After 'The Beginning in the End')

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Their week in the woods had not been as relaxing as Booth had hoped it would be. The only one that had fun that week was Parker. Max was tense whenever they were outside and Brennan's senses were heightened. Booth was constantly looking over his shoulder and when they were swimming in the lake, he stayed near the boy while Max patrolled the shore.

Once they were back home, Brennan felt drained. "I need a vacation from our vacation."

Sympathetic, Booth pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry that our vacation was such a mess." He hugged her and felt her relax in his arms. "I blame Danny for this. First, he says not to worry about anything and then he arranges to have Parker guarded. This is crazy." He kissed her then gave her an encouraging smile. "I have a plan . . . I think we need to take matters in to our own hands. I'm going to see if I can track down Bud Carson and I'm going to find out who he's working for. I left it to Danny, but I haven't heard anything from him. I'm done waiting."

"I think that would be wise." Brennan moved over to where their luggage lay on their bed and began to unpack. "Danny may have motives we don't understand and his priorities may not match ours."

His mind racing, Booth thought about what he could do to track down Bud Carson. "I'm going to contact the detective Rebecca hired . . . Harry White. He might be able to help me." Booth picked up the bag of dirty clothes. "I'm going to be as quiet and as unobtrusive as possible while I look for Bud Carson. I don't want whoever he's working for to get wind of what's going on."

"I concur." Brennan carried some shorts and t-shirts over to Booth's dresser. "I think if we can find out who tried to kidnap Parker we will find out what is going on . . . or at least I hope so."

"I'm not going to send Parker home yet. I think he's safer here with Max and Tom guarding him." Booth stepped over to the doorway. "I think I'll get Harris to check with the city and see if there are any traffic cameras near Parker's former school. I might be able to prove Carson was in the area if I have some pictures to prove it."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Special Agent Morris Harris looked at his supervisor and friend before knocking on the front door of Bud Carson's house. "If you're going to lose your temper stay out here."

Annoyed, Booth reached around Harris and knocked on the door. "I'm not going to kill him."

After a few seconds, the door opened and a rather average looking man with salt and pepper hair and a feathered mustache appeared. "What do you want?"

Booth held up his FBI badge and ID and showed it to Carson. Harris did the same. "Carson . . . Bud Carson?"

"Yeah." Calmly, Carson looked at each man and thought he knew what was going on, not that he would make it easy for them. "What do you want?"

Surprisingly in control, Booth placed his ID in this jacket pocket. "May we come in? We have a few questions we would like to ask you."

"No, you may not." The older man didn't like this situation at all, but this wasn't his game to play. "What do you want?"

Harris shrugged his shoulders and held up a picture of Bud Carson's car. "This is your car. It was spotted near the Granger Academy on April 26th." He held up another picture. "This was taken a few minutes later showing you enter the parking lot of Granger Academy. It was taken by an exterior camera on the apartment building across the street. They keep their recordings for six months for insurance purposes." He held up a third picture. "This is you near the front entrance to the school . . . We showed your picture to the office manager of Granger Academy and at first, she denied ever seeing you, but of course she had to have, hadn't she? She's the wife of your cousin Barton Case." Harris smirked at the way Carson lost the color in his face. "I bet you thought that was a lucky break and I guess it was since she didn't give you away until she had to . . . For a former police officer, you aren't very smart, are you?"

Glumly, Carson shook his head. "Smart? . . . Maybe not. Kerry Blakely needed someone to do his dirty work and he found me to do it. My wife is . . . was dying of brain cancer and I needed the money to get her into a good hospice and to pay our hospital bills. Our insurance wouldn't cover everything and they were willing to let her die in the hospital . . . God knows why he thought I'd do it, but he was right, I was desperate to make Erica's last days comfortable and I took the job."

Booth couldn't remain silent any further. "He paid you to try to kidnap the boy Parker Booth?"

Caron nodded his head. "I don't have anything to lose by admitting it. My wife died four days after I tried to do the job. The money allowed me to move her into a hospice and it made her transition to heaven easier. Blakley paid for that up front as a down payment for the job. I was going to try again, but the boy's father took him on vacation and when he came back his mother moved him and her to England. Ms. Stinson removed herself from the Simmons case and Blakely called the whole thing off. He didn't pay me the rest of the money he promised, but my wife died in peace and in comfort and that's all that really mattered to me. I expected someone to track me down earlier. I didn't think I'd be free this long. So not smart, just lucky."

His anger barely under control, Booth reached up, grabbed the front of Carson's shirt and yanked him down the step. Placing cuffs on the man, he read the former policeman his rights. "Parker is my son, you stupid son of a bitch."

Wisely, Harris pulled the would be kidnapper from Booth's grasp. "Mr. Carson, you are under arrest for the attempted kidnapping of a minor. You moved across state lines to do it which gives the FBI jurisdiction."

His anger barely under control, Booth stalked over to the SUV, leaned against it and pulled his phone from his jacket pocket. While Harris put Carson in the back seat of the SUV, Booth called Brennan. "We got Carson and it had to do with the Simmons case after all. This had nothing to do with Abbot or Asshole in Homeland Security."

 _Well, I was wrong then. That's actually a good thing. That means that no one is interested in kidnapping or killing Parker at this moment. The Simmons case ended last week and Rebecca has nothing to do with the case anymore._

"Yeah, that's true." Booth should feel relieved, but he was still worried. "We still don't know what Abbot was up to, but at least Parker is safe."

 _Rebecca will be relieved when she finds this out. Tom Jones will be able to return to work and stop guarding Parker and Danny can now focus on Abbot and Asshole._

It always sounded weird when Brennan used curse words. She was so smart she could insult you using dollar words and her victims didn't always know they had been insulted. "I guess we can keep Parker here for the rest of his vacation. I think Max should stick around though. I'll feel better knowing my son is being watched by someone that knows how to handle rough situations. You know . . . just in case."

 _Alright. I'll see you when you get home tonight. I think we should have pizza for dinner._

"Now that sounds like a great idea. I love you . . . oh, you're getting a meat pizza for me, aren't you? Not just vegetables and mushrooms like the last time?"

 _I love you too._

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Danny held his hands up as if to ward off Booth. "Hey, my friend actually works for a living and he had to leave the country for a few weeks. He was going to track down Bud Carson when he got back. That's why I had Tom helping you out. Parker was safe."

Annoyed, Booth glared at the glass of beer sitting on the table in front of him. "This had nothing to do with Abbot. This was the Simmons case all along."

"I get it . . . okay, I get it." Danny thought Booth wasn't seeing the bright side. "But this means that whatever is going on with Abbot and our special person of interest had nothing to do with Parker. It just looks like they're interested in you and Dr. Brennan. That's a good thing and it may mean that I'm also right about this not being anything dangerous. This might be political. Abbot has been making noise about running for Senator Woolfolk's seat next year. Maybe he wants to run as the cut taxes and save a shit load of money candidate . . . who knows. We're still watching our special person of interest, so you don't need to worry about that. We still have the mystery of a murdered federal employee on our hands and his murderer has not been brought to justice. We aren't going to give up on that. No way."

Slightly mollified, Booth nodded his head. "My son is going back home in a couple of weeks. Max is going to escort him home. I'll feel better when he's safely out of the country."

"Yeah, I don't blame you." Danny sipped some of his beer. "For right now, stop worrying about the crap that's been going on. You and Dr. Brennan have no connection to the dead Federal employee and the only reason we were a little worried was because Abbot tried to separate you two professionally using the Home Land Security man to do it. Let's just take a wait and see attitude for the moment . . . my people have got this Booth. We're on it."

Booth didn't know if he felt comfortable about that. Danny and his friend hadn't seemed to be in a hurry to go after Bud Carson. "If anyone screws with Bones or me they're going to get a hell of a surprise."

"Yeah, I know. Believe me."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	95. Chapter 95

(The Mastodon in the Room)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Max arrived in London with Parker and Rebecca was so happy to see her son. Once Max made sure Parker remembered to call his father as soon as he could, he left for a little mission that had been set up for him before he had left the States. Arriving in Cambridge, he made his way to The Cambridge Brew house where he ordered an apple and pears cider and a beer battered fish fingers and tartar sauce sarnie and sat down at a table in the corner. While he waited, he started to read a book he had picked up at the airport hoping it wasn't as cheesy as it looked.

"I'm surprised you came." Waving at the waitress, CIA agent Tom Jones sat down at the table, smiled at Max and ordered a bottle of beer with no preference for label. "I heard you don't travel outside the United States anymore . . . too old?"

Annoyed, Max closed his book, sipped some of his cider and slowly placed his glass down on the table. "You asked me to meet you here when I got to England, so here I am. I had to bring Parker back to his mother and now I'm on vacation, so if you're just here to waste my time, I'll head back to London."

Tom loved the old man's bravado. Nothing ever seemed to faze Max Keenan. "You killed Deputy Director Robert Kirby . . . and got away with it." He spoke quietly, but clearly. "That was very impressive."

The server delivered Max's food to the table and walked away. "I was acquitted." Max took a bite out of his sandwich and approved of the tartar sauce.

"Kirby wasn't just some murderous bastard that made money off of bank robbers and safe crackers." Tom smiled at the server who placed an opened bottle of beer on the table and moved over to the next to table to remove some dirty dishes. "He was part of something else. The thing is, we have no idea what that something else is yet . . . A federal agent was murdered a few months ago. Before he died he had pointed a finger at a traitor working at Homeland Security. He had proof, but at about the same time he died, his office was ransacked and whatever proof he had disappeared."

"You know I'm just a civilian, right?" Max sipped some of his cider and tried to figure out what was going on. "I don't work for any state or federal government agency. I'm just a retired electrician from Coos Bay, Oregon. All that bull about me being a bank robber and a murderer was just a set up or a case of mistaken identity . . . pick one."

Amused, Tom laughed. "Art McGregor, yeah I know. Worked fifteen years as an electrician in Coos Bay, Oregon and before that you were Mat Brennan, science teacher and before that a safety deposit thief named Max Keenan. You were a confidence man before that. Made a pretty good living too especially after you hooked up with Ruth." He snapped his fingers. "I meant Christine . . . It's a little confusing. Anyway, you killed Kirby and there are some people that are interested in you along with your daughter and her boyfriend, but probably for different reasons . . . you've been a very bad boy, Max. You didn't hand over all of the papers from Gus Harper's diary."

"Oh yeah and what makes you say that?" Max was suddenly wary. This conversation had taken an odd and disturbing turn.

After tasting his beer, Tom reached over and pinched off a piece of fish from Max's sandwich and popped it in his mouth. "Um, good . . . the pages were numbered. The last four pages of the diary were not completely intact. Someone was careless and the bottom of the pages were missing. A friend of mine at the Justice Department got me a copy of the pages and I've read them all. It's obvious that the last four pages were torn so we wouldn't notice that four pages were missing in the diary. There is a time gap. Two days are missing. My friend said they noticed it, but they thought Agent Harper just hadn't written anything on those two days . . . me, I don't think so . . . I want those pages, Max."

Surprised that anyone had bothered to read the diary that carefully, Max leaned back against his chair and stared at the CIA Agent. "And if you're right and there really are four more pages of the diary . . . why do you want them?" He didn't like that the CIA was interested in him. He could handle the FBI, he'd done it in the past, but the CIA made him nervous.

His eyes glinting, Tom pulled the plate across the table, took a bite out of the sandwich, chewed it slowly and then swallowed. "Bud Abbot . . . the Congressman." He didn't say anything else. He was sure that Max was going to see the futility of denying the existence of the pages sooner or later. He just hoped it was sooner.

"What about him?" This wasn't what he had wanted to hear. "Former FBI Agent, friend of Kirby . . . Booth mentioned him and said that the congressman is trying to shut down the partnership between the Hoover and the Lab. Seems a little nuts to me since Booth and Tempe have been solving cases that have made the FBI look pretty damn good. You think he was part of Kirby's gang after all?"

Silently eating more of the sandwich, Tom studied the calm man sitting across from him and decided to be at least a little honest. He needed Max to cooperate. "I think Gus Harper not only stumbled upon the fact that Kirby was running a gang of crooked agents, but he found out something that was extremely dangerous to him. I think Kirby was ordered to kill him and not just kill him, but set up Marvin Beckett as the murderer so no one would look too closely into Agent Harper's ongoing investigation. They needed Harper's silence and they needed it fast . . . Even when all of this was exposed, everyone concentrated on Kirby and his gang and once you handed over Gus' diary that seemed to close the case. Of course, you killed Kirby before he could be arrested for murder and everyone just washed their hands and concentrated on capturing Kirby's murderer. No one cared that four pages of the diary were missing because Kirby's gang was done, so they didn't need Harper's complete diary."

Apparently, the CIA had stuck their noses into the Kirby business because of Bud Abbot's interest in Booth and Temperance's partnership. _Damn it!_ "I really don't know anything about missing pages. Like a concerned citizen, I gave Agent Booth the diary and the key to a safety deposit box which contained some damning evidence Agent Harper had kept about Kirby and his gang of thieves. That's all I know."

"Russ Brennan." Tom took the opportunity to finish the sandwich.

His blood ran a little cold. "What about Russ?" Tom's voice had sounded very threatening to him.

Tom wiped his lips with a napkin and moved the empty plate towards Max. "Nothing . . . just Russ Brennan."

"Are you threatening my boy?" Max was furious. "You saw what happened to Kirby the last time someone threatened my kids."

Amused, Tom laughed. "I'm more than one man, Max. I'm part of a very big organization and we don't play well with others. It's kind of our reputation."

He studied the agent for a few minutes and decided that he was cornered. "Let me check around the house and see if I dropped them behind a seat cushion or something. I'm not a good house keeper."

Finished with his beer, Tom set the bottle down on top of the plate. "I'd appreciate that Max. Someone will contact you when you get back home and ask if you found them. It won't be me, so if you're thinking that I might have an unfortunate accident and no one will ask for the pages . . . well, let's just nip that in the bud shall we? My boss doesn't have a sense of humor and when he wants something he usually gets it."

Max nodded his head. "Is my daughter and son in danger?"

"Not that I know of." Tom leaned closer. "So far it just looks like Congressman Abbot wants to shut down the pipeline between the Jeffersonian and the Hoover. My boss doesn't like that. It seems unpatriotic and he thinks the Director of the FBI is not paying attention like he should be."

"Alright." Max finished his cider. "You can pay the bill." He stood up and walked over to the door. He planned on talking to Booth and his daughter as soon as he could, but not on the phone. Who knew who might be listening?

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	96. Chapter 96

(The Maggots in the Meathead)

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I don't own Bones.

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Max had thought over how to handle the CIA and came up with a plan that might protect him while giving them what they wanted. After he bought a phone using his Art McGregor ID, he contacted his old friend Pete Jackson.

"Pete, the CIA came to me with an offer I can't ignore. They want the four pages and the audio tape that belonged to Agent Harper . . . They're threatening Russ if I don't play ball.

 _Fuck! . . . Alright, what do you want me to do?_

Grateful that Pete was on his side, Max sighed. "I can't fly back now, the CIA might try to use me further in this mess. The shit is going to hit the fan when my daughter finds out as it is, but I'd like to keep that damage down to a minimum. I'm going to give the CIA what they want, but I'm not going to make myself a patsy. Make a couple of copies of the pages and the tape. I need you to mail the original pages and the original audio to Danny Beck care of CIA Headquarters in Langley. I need one set of the copies to go to Tom Jones at the same place. Wear gloves when you're making the copies. Make sure you don't leave any finger prints or DNA on the paper or tapes. You know what to do. I think you should mail them from anyplace other that Washington D.C. I don't want the CIA to know about you . . . got it? Maybe disguise who you are when you mail the envelopes. Cameras are everywhere now."

 _Yeah, I got it. What do you want to do with the second set of copies?_

"Oh, we'll keep them. Once the originals are handed over we won't have any control of them, but having a copy would protect us just in case some alterations are done to the originals."

 _You don't trust the CIA?_

"Ha! Would you?" Max wasn't in the mood to trust anyone at the moment. "Who knows what they're up to?"

 _Yeah . . . Okay, I'll get this taken care of in the next few days. When are you coming back?"_

"About three weeks." Max sighed. "Whatever Danny Beck and Tom Jones are planning to do . . . I plan to be in Europe when it happens. You keep your head down. Don't try to call me. We're on radio silence for the next few weeks.

 _Got it._

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"Listen Cher', I have some interesting news for you and I wanted to make sure you heard it from me." Ms. Julian stormed into Booth's office, dropped her brief case on one of the chairs in front of Booth's desk and sat on the other one. "Congressman Abbot is being arraigned this afternoon. He's going before Judge Hank Lutrell. The charge is accessory to murder amongst other things. He's being arraigned with Special Agent McBride. We never could prove those two were part of Kirby's gang of dirty agents, but a good citizen stepped forward three weeks ago and gave the justice department some pretty damning evidence. We looked into it, checked its authenticity and found it to be credible."

Stunned, Booth leaned forward on his desk. "I know Abbot was one of Kirby's friends, but McBride wasn't Kirby's friend . . . He was a friend of Abbot though . . . What kind of evidence are we talking about? Abbot is a sitting congressman so it better be pretty damn convincing."

Grimly, Caroline slowly nodded her head. "You know that diary that Max Keenan gave you that belonged to Special Agent Augustus Harper?" She saw Booth's eyes widen in surprise. "There were four pages missing from it, plus an audiotape. We knew about the missing pages, but not the tape. An anonymous upstanding citizen happened to find those pages and tape in a safety deposit box that belonged to his dead father. He had no idea how it got in the box and why his father had it, but he had read through the pages just to see what they were and once he did he recognized that he might have something very important on his hands. He sent them to me and once I read the pages and listened to the tape, I took them to the Attorney General."

"So, you don't know who sent them to you?" Booth didn't like that part of it. It sounded contrived and he wondered if this was Max's doing.

Aware that Booth was suspicious, Caroline shrugged her shoulders. "Might be a child of one of the gang members that Max did business with. They're all dead now except for Max. Maybe when Max took the diary he gave some of the pages and the tape to a friend for safe keeping. I don't know, but I would like to bring Max in and have a talk with him."

His eyes mere slits, Booth stared at the small picture he had on the desk next to his PC of his girlfriend. "Max . . . yeah, I think that can be arranged. He just got back from England a couple of days ago. He's been gone for a little over three weeks. He's supposed to come over for dinner tomorrow."

"So that means it probably wasn't Max that sent the envelope." She was certain that Max had not sent it, but at least that was confirmed. "The envelope was mailed from Cincinnati, Ohio. Max's last bank job was in Dayton in 1978."

"Yeah, I know." Booth poked his tongue in his cheek and thought about the situation for a few seconds. "Okay, I'm going to bring Max in and talk to him. I want to know why he held those pages and tape back."

Caroline nodded her head in approval. "Good. I want to be there when you talk to him."

"You got it." Booth was angry. Max knew that Abbot was trying to destroy his partnership with Brennan and yet he didn't mention the pages or the tape.

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Max had known that this was going to happen. By handing the pages and the tape over to the CIA, he had set himself up, but hadn't had a choice. He had over three weeks to work on his story and he was confident it would take care of the situation. The last thing he needed was his daughter shutting him out of her life because he hadn't given her the complete diary. "So, why am I here?" He leaned back against his chair and rested his hands on the table in front of him.

Her face expressionless, Caroline glanced at Booth who was sitting next to her and then turned back to face Max. "I received an envelope in the mail three weeks ago from an anonymous source. The envelope contained four pages of Special Agent Gus Harper's diary and an audiotape . . . you had custody of the diary and the audio tapes and gave them to Agent Booth four years ago . . . why didn't you hand over the complete diary and all of the tapes?"

"I gave Booth what I had." Max kept his face as bland as possible. "I didn't have access to the four pages you're talking about or the tape, so I couldn't give them to him. I didn't think it was that important anyway. The diary proved that Kirby was a murdering traitor and it gave you the names of most of the agents that had worked with him. They're all in prison, so what does it matter?"

"Who did you give the pages to?" Booth was sure that Max was feeding them a story, but he'd go along with it for now. "Why did you give them to someone else?"

With a shrug is his shoulders. Max leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. "When Christine and I first looked through the diary we realized that what we had was very dangerous. I wanted to give the diary and the tapes to the FBI, anonymously of course, but Christine was afraid that it would be our death warrant if we did that. She was sure our family would be wiped out including our kids if the wrong people got the evidence. If you've read the diary you know how vicious Kirby and his crew were. Life didn't mean anything to those bastards. I put the diary and the tapes in a safety deposit box, but Christine thought it would be a better idea to take some of the pages and one of the tapes and give it to someone for safe keeping. I knew a guy . . . I guess he's dead now, but at the time the plan was if me or my family were killed he was to forward the pages and the tape to the Washington Post or the Los Angeles Times. Maybe make a copy and send it to both. It was going to be our revenge. I lost contact with my friend on purpose. I didn't want him to be connected to me in anyway. I guess when he died, his kid sent you the pages and the tape."

It sounded plausible to Booth or well rehearsed. Knowing Max, he was inclined to suspect the later. "What was your friend's name?"

Max shrugged his shoulders. "He's dead. You can't talk to him and no way I'm involving his kid. He was never part of the business."

"You withheld evidence." Caroline was not happy with Max. "You should have told us about the missing pages and the tape and who had them. Now a corrupt FBI Agent has been elected a congressman and that is pretty embarrassing to the voters who voted for him."

"So what?" Max thought her reasoning was flawed. "People should be careful who they vote for. So the great state of North Carolina is embarrassed. They'll get over it. It's not like corrupt congressmen haven't been elected before." His story was holding up and that was all that he cared about. "Those papers were my insurance policy. If someone screwed with me or my family, then they would pay for it. Simple, but effective. I'm a great believer in an eye for eye."

Booth stood up and walked over to the door. Caroline followed him and once they were in the hallway, crossed her arms against her breasts and glared at Booth. "I don't believe him, but we don't have a way to prove it, the couillon."

"I don't think it's a big deal. We have the pages and the tape and Abbot and McBride are going down." Booth was relieved. Abbot had been worrying him and now Abbot was toothless. Whatever he had been up to was stopped and his partnership was safe.

She was annoyed. Very annoyed. "Max has too many secrets. Who knows what else he knows. We don't even know if the eight tapes we have are all of them. Merde, that man is giving me heartburn."

Caroline wasn't the only one who was annoyed. "I'm not sure how Bones is going take this. She already doesn't trust him. I'm pretty sure Max is in deep shit right now."

"Good!" Caroline smiled. "I'm glad to hear it." Pointing at the door to the interrogation room, Caroline growled. "Let him go, but wait an hour before you do it. It's the closest to jail he's going to get."

Amused, Booth smiled at the prosecutor. "Will do . . . I might even wait two hours."

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He met his girlfriend for dinner at the Royal Diner. "So, we let Max go. Abbot is in jail and Hank refused to let him have bail. Whatever Abbot was up to is stopped now. His career is over. Even if he goes to trial and by some miracle he's found not guilty, he'll have too much baggage against him and no one will vote for him again. A reputation as a corrupt FBI Agent is not great for a law and order candidate."

Brennan was fuming. "Max had no right not to at least tell us about the pages and the tape. He withheld evidence." Her anger was palpable.

"He said it was insurance if he or his family was killed. He wanted to be able to get revenge even if it was from the grave." Booth's phone rang and he answered it.

 _Cher', Abbot is dead. He was killed about an hour ago, by a prisoner that Abbot had testified against five years ago._

A cold feeling swept across his back. "Abbot is dead, Bones. Someone murdered him." He turned his attention back to Caroline. "How about McBride?"

 _He's fine so far. The Warden put him in solitary confinement the minute he found out that Abbot was dead._

"They both should have been in solitary to begin with." Booth was angry. "Its standard policy when a policeman or former policeman is put in jail to keep them out of the general population."

 _The warden will have to explain that when I talk to him . . . A congressman killed in prison. Merde!_

The phone call ended abruptly and Booth placed his phone back in his jacket pocket. "Someone's head is going to roll. Caroline is pissed."

"Do you think Max had anything to do with this?" Brennan was worried. Her father was capable of anything including murder.

"Probably not." Booth sipped some of coffee and placed the cup back down on the table. "What would be his motive? Kirby is dead and his gang is in jail. Abbot and McBride weren't a threat to anyone while they were in prison . . . Abbot was killed by a prisoner out for revenge."

She hoped that was true. "When he comes to dinner tomorrow night we need to talk to him. He must tell us if there are any more tapes or documents that he has hidden away. How can I trust him, if things like this keep happening?"

"I don't know, Bones, but he did protect Parker." Booth was torn. He didn't really trust Max either, but he wanted to.

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A/N: To Guest, I am glad you are enjoying this story. I update it every Monday morning.


	97. Chapter 97

(The Body and the Bounty)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

 _Let the inquisition begin._ Max moved his hands down the front of his shirt in a nervous gesture. He had been interrogated by Booth the previous day and now he knew it was his daughter's turn. Unable to do anything else, he knocked on the font door and waited patiently for someone to answer the door.

After a few seconds, the door was opened and Booth motioned for him to come into the house. "Max."

"Booth." The blank look on the face of his daughter's boyfriend wasn't a good sign as far as Max was concerned. "I'm a little early."

Closing the door behind his guest, Booth motioned for the older man to enter the living room. "Bones is in the kitchen. Sit down and I'll bring you a drink . . . Beer? Wine?"

"Uh, I'll take a Coke please or water." Max wanted to keep his senses fully intact. He was about to go into battle with his daughter and he needed to be unimpaired.

Surprised, Booth entered the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled a Coke from the bottom shelf. "Your father's here."

Closing the oven door, Brennan slowly placed the pot holders on the counter and stared at the steaming pot of rice on the back of the stove. "Alright." She was torn about the situation with her father. "I promised to let him explain and I will."

Booth placed the bottle of Coke on the counter and placed his arms around his girlfriend, resting his hands on her stomach and his chin on her shoulder. "Hey, relax. You'll get through this one. Just remember that I'm on your side and whatever you decide to do about Max . . . I'll back you up. Always."

She appreciated his loyalty. Turning in his arms, she placed her hands on his neck and kissed him. "I want to trust him."

"I know." Booth returned her kiss. He hated that she was so upset with her father. If he could have protected her from Max's behavior he would have. "Everything is fine in here for the moment. Let's go talk to him and get it over with."

Filled with anxiety, Brennan closed her eyes for a moment, opened them and nodded her head. "Yes, it would be better to get it over with."

"Like ripping the band-aid off." Booth hated to prolong the agony of any situation. "Good or bad, let's just do this thing and see what happens afterward."

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They entered the living room as a couple. They weren't touching each other or looking at each other, but Max got the message. His daughter and her boyfriend were presenting a solid front. He had no allies in the room at the moment. Once he took the Coke from Booth, he opened it, took a drink and watched the couple sit down on the couch across from his chair. "Whatever you're cooking smells great."

Brennan wasn't going to be diverted with small talk. "You didn't give us all of the pages from Agent Harper's diary nor did you give us all of the tapes. Why?"

And so it began. "Like I told Booth, I needed insurance. I wanted to know that if my family was wiped out there would be a way to get revenge on Kirby and his stooges. I kept the last four pages because it named them all in one place. The diary mentioned each man as Harper uncovered them and what they were doing, but those four pages had them all listed in one neat list . . . Your mother knew right away we were in danger once we read the diary. We didn't know who to trust at the FBI, so we couldn't turn the stuff over to them. We kept most of the diary and most of the tapes in a safety deposit box, but those four pages and the tape were our backup plan. If we died then so would Kirby and his group of thugs . . . Tempe we weren't sure we were going to survive that year. In 1978, we had a strong-arm gang after us because we dared to leave them and if Kirby had known what we had, he would have found a way to find us and kill us, including you and Russ."

Curious, Booth leaned forward. "Why'd you belong to that gang? You were doing okay on your own."

"We didn't have a choice." Max felt a chill run down his back. "Christine and I had a little side operation working well for us. We'd figured out how to get into safety deposit vaults with as little trouble as possible. We usually selected about twenty of the bigger boxes in each vault, emptied them and then we were gone with no fuss and no muss . . . We stepped on one of the gang's operations and they threatened to kill us if we didn't work for them. We were scared. Those animals were white supremacists trying to accumulate enough wealth to start a civil war. They didn't care who they hurt or killed. We had to work for them until we could figure out how to escape from them."

"You could have run when you were approached. Why wait until 1978?" Brennan found his explanation faulty. "And in 1991 you ran when McVicar found you, leaving me and Russ behind. You didn't have to work for them at all."

He had known she wouldn't understand. "Look, when those guys approached us, they were going to kill us right then and there, but I convinced them that we could work together and make them richer faster. They kept a close eye on us for the first couple of years we worked for them. Then I guess they figured we weren't going anywhere and when we hit that bank in Dayton in 1978 and one state trooper died and seven were wounded things changed. During that robbery, we found Harper's diary in one of the deposit boxes and after we read it, we knew we had stumbled on to something big. We had seen on television that Agent Harper had been murdered and we had his diary and his tapes . . . That diary was radioactive. It pointed to a criminal organization in the FBI and we knew that Marvin Beckett had been framed for Harper's murder. It just made more sense that Kirby had killed Harper and set up Beckett . . . No matter what we did we were sure we were going to die and you kids were going to die with us . . . We ran. We ran to Illinois and changed our lives. We changed our names, how we made a living . . . we kept our heads down and we prayed that no one would find us, then in '91 McVicar was passing through town and he spotted Christine at the mall. We ran to protect you kids. We led them away from you as fast as we could. We figured if we died at least you and Russ would live . . . McVicar caught up with us at a rest stop in New Jersey. He hit your mother with the tip of a bolt gun. I fought McVicar and took his gun away from him and hit him with it. While he was knocked out, I found another car, hot wired it and got your mother out of there. She was hurt, but we didn't know how bad . . . Come to find out, it was very bad and she died a year later. I wanted to die with her, but I couldn't. I had two kids out there somewhere and I needed to stay alive for them, for you."

The mentioning of her mother's death sent a wave of sadness through her. The last time she has seen her mother was when she drove away with her father when they went Christmas shopping in '91. Her mother had laughed and waved at her and then that was it. At the end of the day, she was an orphan and several days later she was in Foster Care. "What did that matter? You left me in Foster Care. You let Russ run amok and become a criminal. What did it matter that you were alive?"

"Bones?" Booth was shocked. He knew that his partner loved her father even if she couldn't trust him, so her words were a surprise.

"McVicar was still alive and looking for me and your Mom." Max was certain this was going to be the end of his relationship with his daughter, but he continued the conversation anyway. "Once your mother was dead, I buried her with all the love that I had and I moved to Washington State. It was as far as I could get from you and Russ. I couldn't contact you because it would have endangered your life . . . After a few years had gone by and I thought the heat was off, I had a friend check on you and Russ. You were in college and doing well. Russ was working in an auto shop in Cleveland . . . It looked like you two were okay . . . My friend checked on you once a year and let me know what was going on in your life and when you started working with Booth for the FBI, I got scared. Kirby was the Deputy Director of the FBI by then, so I hired a guy to watch Russ and you. He mostly watched Russ because Russ couldn't seem to get his life together. He moved around too much and got involved in chop shops. When he was caught and served a little time in prison, I knew that he was the most vulnerable."

Max stopped, drank some of the cola and screwed the cap back on. "I know that Kirby had been searching for all of the members of McVicar's gang because of the diary. Somehow, he knew about the diary and the tapes and he was looking for them, for me, for your mother. Unsurprisingly the members of the gang started dying one after the other. McVicar saw the writing on the wall, came forward and turned states' evidence. He turned in the rest of his gang and Kirby used that as a stepping stone for a promotion at the FBI. He was still looking for me and Christine. He wanted those diaries and we were the only ones left. There was no way he knew that Christine was dead until you identified her body in 2005. When you started working with Booth . . . well, you identified your mother's body and that let him know who you were and who Russ was . . . He hired Garrett Delaney to watch you two and I guess when I never made contact with either of you he targeted Russ. I guess he thought that would force me to come out in the open to protect you, but he didn't know I knew what was going on and Garrett Delaney was killed. That didn't stop Kirby though. He tried to assassinate my boy and he paid for that . . . Look I'm sorry. My life has been a disaster since 1978 and you were caught up in it just because you were my daughter . . . I'm sorry. It's all I have."

Max's story had filled in a lot of blanks and if it was all true, then Booth could see why the events had played out like they had. "Now they're all dead. Kirby, the gang including McVicar . . . the rest of the agents are either in jail or they're dead."

"Congressman Abbot is dead." Brennan watched her father's face closely to see if there was a reaction. "He was murdered."

"Well, I didn't kill him. I've been in England for three weeks." Max shrugged his shoulders. "Abbot was a murderer, so don't ask me to feel sorry for him. He made his bed and someone burned it with him in it and it wasn't me."

Confused, Brennan wasn't sure what she should do next. Standing, she moved towards the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes."

Not sure how to take that, Max stared at Booth. "And?"

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know . . . Just eat dinner, talk about unimportant things and let her think about it. It won't take her long to make a decision."

"That's what I'm worried about."

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	98. Chapter 98

(The Shallow in the Deep)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Here he was again, standing outside a door and wondering if his fate was to always be on the outside looking in. A little nervous, Max stared at his daughter for a few seconds before he knocked on the doorframe of her office. "Tempe, may I speak to you?"

Surprised to see her father at her place of employment, Brennan looked up, flipped her magazine over and nodded her head. "Yes, you may."

Slowly moving into the office, Max tried to gage his daughter's response seeing him and decided that she was unreadable. His daughter had the same ability as his late wife to hide her feelings and that was very annoying to a man who made a living reading his marks emotional states. "I haven't heard from you for the last two weeks and . . . well, I wanted to see if you've made up your mind about whether or not you're going to give up on me."

Calmly, Brennan pointed at the chair in front of her desk and waited for her father to sit down. Once he was settled, she nodded her head. "I have thought over your actions and how they were influenced by outside forces beyond your control and I have decided to give you one more chance. You have been dishonest with me and Booth and I have forgiven you, but if you continue to abuse my trust then our relationship will be finished. I think you've pushed the boundaries of trust too far, but Booth said you were trying to do by right by your family. I don't see it, but Booth does and he is better able to understand personal motives than I am able to do. He thinks he understands your motives about the pages and the tape and he was able to help me to understand why you did what you did . . . If you are withholding anything else from me, it would be best if you told me now. If I find out later that there are more secrets then our relationship will be finished no matter what your motives are."

Relieved that he was still in his daughter's life, Max smiled. "I promise there are no more secrets. You know everything as far as I know. The Justice Department has all of the pages and the tapes that belonged to Agent Harper. As far as I know, that's it. If Harper had anything else hidden away, then I don't know about it. Kirby is dead and so is Delaney. Congressman Abbot is dead and I had nothing to do with that. I wasn't even in the country when he was arrested and then when he was killed. I guessed those papers and tape were going to show up sooner or later, but I thought I'd be dead when that happened."

"If you knew that Abbot was part of Kirby's crew then why didn't you tell us after Kirby was dead?" There was still something odd about Congressman Abbot and his interest in her and Booth.

Max sighed. "Tempe, I didn't have the pages or the tape and I didn't have a way to get my hands on them. I didn't have any proof against Abbot. It would have just been my word against his and I was tried for the death of Kirby. Who was going to believe me?"

"You could have told us after we told you about Abbot's interest in us. We didn't need proof. We needed information." Brennan still felt like her father was hiding something from her, but she couldn't prove it and she was annoyed.

He wasn't sure how to answer that question, but he knew he had to be very careful. "I thought about telling you, but Booth told us at your little get together that some guy at Homeland Security was interested in you and that meant to me that Abbot wasn't the one you should be worried about. Booth said that Danny Beck from the CIA was investigating that situation and that it might have to do with some murder of a Federal employee. Abbot might have been a lot of things, but getting involved with someone in Homeland Security and killing some Fed doesn't make sense. There are two possibilities here. Either that Homeland Security guy talked to Abbot and got him to go after you two because he had something on Abbot or the other possibility is that they were just friends and Abbot tried to get the Homeland Security guy to dig up some dirt on you two. We'll never know . . . Abbot came across as an ambitious man. He wanted to run for the Senate next. If he could stop the partnership between the Lab and the FBI, he could say it was to save a lot of tax payer money and who was to say he was wrong? Would a guy like that be interested in something nefarious at this late date? After he was starting a new career in politics? He managed to keep his distance from Kirby, so why risk everything to do something else unlawful? I'm inclined to believe that he wanted to break up you and Booth's partnership for revenge and for no other reason, but was using some bullshit plan to cover up the real reason. Kirby and his gang were neutralized and Abbot was safe. The congressman was just being a sneaky bastard and he should have left well enough alone."

It did seem logical. Brennan leaned forward on her desk. "Either theory is logical. If Abbot was trying to get revenge then it's done. He's dead and that will be the end of it. If the Homeland Security person of interest if responsible then this isn't over . . . We still don't know why he would be interested in Booth and me. We didn't investigate the death of the Federal employee that was murdered and neither of us have any connections at Homeland Security. It made more sense if Abbot was pulling the ropes or chains or whatever it is, but we don't know that for certain. Booth is trying to get Danny to divulge the name of the Homeland Security person of interest, but Danny won't do it. By the way . . . We think Danny has another agenda and that we are merely bit players in his investigation . . . that's what Booth calls us. He thinks we are minor characters in whatever is going on, but that we need to be wary nonetheless. You should be too."

"Oh, I will." Max decided he needed to know more about what was going on. He didn't trust Danny Beck and he wasn't going to trust the man to take care of anything. The CIA had its own agenda and the hell with everyone else. "I'm a law-abiding citizen now and that should be all I need to get by. I'm not anyone important and I have no connection with any law enforcement agencies. Whoever this traitor is at Homeland Security won't be interested in me."

"I can see your point." Brennan hated not knowing what was going on. "Booth and I feel like we should all be careful as we go about our daily lives. There is still something going on and just because Abbot is dead doesn't mean that we are safe. Only time will tell us that."

"Yeah, I get it." Max was definitely going to look into this mess further. No one was going to hurt his daughter if he could help it. His gut told him, there was something else going on, but he would find out what it was.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Max met with an old friend at the man's house. "I think we have something else to worry about now."

Curious, Pete carried two bottles of beer into the living room and handed one of them to Max. "Kirby is dead. Delaney is dead. Abbot is dead and you told me that the kidnapping attempt against Parker was about his mother's job, not Tempe's. What's wrong now?"

Pete Jackson was an old friend of Max's and someone he had worked with in his younger days. He was one of the few friends Max had in the District and the man was reliable as well as someone he could trust. Max knew that Pete was retired, but Max needed his expertise. "It would seem that Congressman Abbot may have been working for someone in Homeland Security. I talked to my daughter this morning and I'm beginning to think that Abbot was trying to break up her and Booth's partnership because he was told to do it. Booth and Tempe think it's possible that it was made to look like he was trying to use someone at Homeland Security to get what he wanted, but I think it was the other way around. There's something going on and I don't like it. That friend of Booth's, CIA agent Danny Beck is supposed to be looking into a murder of a Federal Agent and he thinks it's connected to someone at Homeland Security. The same someone who might have used Abbot."

Alarmed, Pete placed his beer on the coffee table. "The CIA can't do jack shit in this country. It's against the law."

Max shrugged his shoulders. "I know that, but they can pass stuff onto other agencies and they can do some digging as long as they don't tell anyone. I just don't know who Danny is using to do his leg work . . . We need to do some of our own digging. I think Abbot screwed up his mission. Those four pages and tape I held back from Agent Harper's Diary were used by the CIA to try to bring down Abbot and someone didn't want Abbot to talk. They murdered him to keep him quiet . . . Of course, I just might be paranoid and Abbot was really just trying to get revenge for Kirby's death, but that seems all wrong to me. He didn't even make it in jail for twenty-four hours. He was arrested, someone panicked and they ordered a hit on Abbot. They didn't want him to rat. That means my daughter and her boyfriend could still be in trouble."

Though he was retired, Pete was getting bored with his life and if someone was still willing to use his special skills then he didn't see any harm. "It has to be done discreetly. We can't let anyone know we're digging around into a murder investigation especially if the victim is a federal employee. We don't want Homeland Security or the CIA onto us. It wouldn't turn out very good for us."

"Yeah, I get that." Max was nervous, but he needed to help his daughter and Booth. "This is about family Pete."

"Yeah, I understand that." Pete considered Max to be like a brother. The only other family he had was his ex-wife and she barely talked to him. "I get it. Let me start searching and I'll keep you informed. No phone calls, no email messages, no text messages. We talk in person or not at all."

Amused, Max chuckled. "You know I don't have a computer. I use burner phones and they're just phones, not smart phones. Big brother can track anyone if they want to. Why make it easy for them?"

"Yes, so we need to be very careful." Pete glanced at his computer in the corner of his living room and smiled at the thought of all the equipment he had in the basement. His PC in the living room was a smoke screen and no one suspected otherwise. "I've been looking for something to do and this is right up my alley . . . First, I'll track down who the Federal employee was who was murdered. That should be easy. Then I'll see where he worked and if there are any connections to Homeland Security or the CIA. I'll bet you ten bucks the victim was a CIA agent or connected to the Agency in some way . . . Yeah, then I'll try to see if there are any connections to Tempe or that boyfriend of hers and go from there. This is going to take time since I can't leave any footprints behind or at least any that lead to me or you . . . You'll have to be patient, but I think I'll be able to work this out . . . Remember, we meet in person. Not here and not at your place . . . I think maybe the Library Express on K Street . . . yeah, that will do for now. I'll send you a letter when I think we should meet."

Max could be a very patient man when he needed to be. "Don't forget to add Danny Beck into your equation . . . Oh and Tom Jones. He was the one that forced me to hand over the pages and the tape."

"Got it." Pete walked over to his computer and jotted down a few notes. "Okay? Anything else you can think of?"

"No, but if I hear anything from Booth or Tempe I'll pass it on to you." Max stood up. "Thanks, Pete. I knew I could count on you."

The computer specialist turned around and held up his notepad. "Always, Max. You're the only family I've ever had. You and me and Ruth . . . I mean Christine. God, she was a great gal and the way she could handle herself in the field, during a con. . . she was amazing."

"She really was." Max sighed. "I still miss her."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	99. Chapter 99

(The Babe in the Bar)

Thank you for your continued interest in my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

They met in Angela's office. The blinds were drawn and the door was locked. Staring at the covered windows, Booth wondered what Angela was thinking. "This doesn't look suspicious at all."

Standing next to Brennan, Hodgins smiled at Booth's comment. "Well, if you think about it, if someone is really keeping tabs of you and Brennan then no matter what we do, we're going to look suspicious. At least no one can enter the office and overhear what we're talking about."

Angela help up a wand and waved it around her head. "I swept this room just before you all arrived and made sure there aren't any listening devices or cameras in here. I know it sounds paranoid, but I think everyone should do it to their offices at least once a day . . . Cam, you can borrow this one. Hodgins checked his office this morning."

"Do you think someone is spying on us?" Brennan found that disconcerting. "So far, we really haven't seen anything that points to any of us being spied upon. We only have Danny's word that Booth and I are on a list that his person of interest is keeping. He didn't say that any of you are also on the list. I think we should be careful, but not paranoid."

"Wait, I think Angela is right to be cautious Bones." Booth turned to face his partner. "We need to keep in mind that there is still the matter of the murder of the Federal Agent that Danny told me about." Booth sat down, it had been a long morning. "Maybe Abbot was after us for revenge, I mean that makes sense. He was a friend of Kirby's and now we also know that he was working with Kirby and the other dirty agents. But, we have to keep in mind that he was also connected to the HLS person that has me on a list with some other guys . . . What we need to focus on is the murder of the Federal employee. His murder hasn't been solved yet and no one has asked us to look into it. Hell, we don't even know who the victim is. We're the best and yet no one has given us the job of finding out what happened to this murder victim. I wonder why? . . . And there's the matter of Abbot being murdered within 24 hours of being locked up. He was murdered by someone he testified against a few years ago, but this all seems to be too much of a coincidence. He was connected to the Homeland Security guy that Danny's worried about and now he's dead. My gut tells me that someone didn't want Abbot alive and talking. Why? I don't know and it's that unknown that should make us all look over our shoulders."

Placing the wand down on the table next to a PC, Angela picked up her remote and stood in front of the widescreen on the wall in front of them. "I might have an answer to at least one of your questions, Booth. I've been looking into the murder of the Federal employee and that's why I called this meeting." She clicked a few keys and a picture of a youthful looking man appeared on the screen. "I'm certain that the murder victim was Gale Storm. The timeline fits anyway. Danny said that the employee had been killed four months prior to when he told you about it . . . Gale was murdered in his home in Georgetown on February 6th. He was a senior analyst for the CIA . . . thirty-three years old, born in Washington D.C. The only child of the late Lucian Storm, the former ambassador to Belgium . . . A graduate from the Walsh School of Foreign Service. His mother and father are both dead and his only living relatives are . . . were an uncle whose retired from the Army and a cousin who's an attache' at the German Embassy. It looks like Gale was moving up in the CIA ranks and his bosses had great plans for him . . . well before he died. His death stirred up a hornet's nest in the CIA, but the press didn't seem very interested. There were a couple of mentions in the papers and a modest obituary. His death was ruled a homicide caused by a home invasion that went wrong, so the news agencies lost interest and dropped the story. A drug addict supposedly interrupted the security system in the house and attacked Gale in his bedroom while he slept . . . Some of his property was taken during the robbery and the police have a man in custody for the murder. They consider the case closed and the press is treating it like that. The CIA doesn't consider it closed at all from what I can tell. That's probably why Danny mentioned it to you."

"Wow, Angela, have you been hacking into the CIA databases? I mean that's hot, but it could be dangerous." Hodgins admired that his girlfriend was so proud of her computer skills and so was he since they almost had a ninja quality to them, but she was playing with fire. "If the CIA finds out you've been snooping . . . well, people have been known to disappear and never be heard from again."

"Hodgins!" Booth shook his head. "No one is going to disappear." He turned to face Angela. "But, you do need to stay out of CIA databases. They have computer specialists who look for stuff like that just like the FBI . . . just saying."

She appreciated everyone's concern, but she knew what she was doing. "Let's just say, I'm not in any danger right now . . . I found an account that's been hacking into CIA accounts and I piggybacked on it . . . Don't worry. The account is a CIA security account. They try to hack into their own accounts all the time, setting up traps for outsiders. I didn't initiate anything. I just looked and I didn't leave any footprints. I know what I'm doing."

Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "Does Gale Storm have any connections at Homeland Security?"

"No, not that I can find." Angela had hoped to learn more, but so far, she had hit a dead end. "I'm still looking. Gale's job was to monitor web sites and blogs that came out of Russia. As far as I know he didn't have any contact with Homeland Security, so if he had some evidence that someone at HLS was a traitor then I don't know where he would have got it. I'm not going to give up looking, but right now, Danny's suspicions don't seem to have any solid evidence to back it up. If Abbot was connected to this . . . well, I don't know. So far, we have a dead CIA analyst and a dead congressman who was a former FBI Agent . . . Abbot was connected to Deputy Director Kirby who was a murderer who had ties to other lawless agents, but Kirby had no ties to HLS that we know of. What this has to do with Gale? . . . I don't know and I have no idea why someone at HLS would be interested in you and Booth either."

"So far, a lot of questions and not a lot of answers." Cam stared at the picture of Gale Storm. "Well, we know the CIA is looking into this, albeit quietly and probably illegally . . . Let's all keep our guards up and keep all of this between us. I'm with Booth about Abbot. My gut is telling me that Danny is onto something and we need to take it seriously . . . I think it's very odd that Agent Harper's missing papers and tape just conveniently showed up at this time . . . very odd timing and rather detrimental consequences for the congressman."

Hodgins rubbed his forehead. "It's one thing to read about conspiracies . . . it's another thing to be involved in one . . . I have a few contacts at Homeland Security . . . I might . . . "

"Don't!" Booth stood up. "Don't draw attention to yourself. We have no idea who Danny's person of interest is, so you might be signing your own death warrant. Just . . . just let Angela do her thing and let Danny continue his investigation. There is no way he's going to blow off the murder of one of his guys. I'm going to see if we can get Gale Storm's body here in the Lab and start our own murder investigation. I think I know how to do it . . . Yeah, let me work on that."

Brennan nodded her head. "If we can investigate his murder, maybe we can track down Asshole."

Shocked, Cam, Angela and Hodgins turned to look at Brennan.

Aware that she was being stared at, Brennan pointed at her boyfriend. "That's what Booth calls the person of interest at Homeland Security."

"Am I wrong?" Booth walked over to the entrance to Angela's outer office. "I have work to do. I'll pick you up this evening. Bones."

Amused, Angela laughed. "He certainly likes nicknames."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

After a few phone calls, Booth finally connected to Gerald Storm the cousin of Gale Storm, the murdered CIA analyst. "Sir, I'm Supervisory Special Agent Seeley Booth, I'm in charge of Homicide Investigations in the Washington D.C. area. I've heard about the death of your cousin Gale and I'd like to offer the services of the FBI to try to locate his murderer."

 _But I thought he was killed by some dope head. The Metro Police told me the case is closed. We buried Gale a few months ago._

"We've come across some information that may point to someone else having killed your cousin, but right now I don't have the authority to investigate his murder . . . I was hoping that you would make a request to the Justice Department asking for the FBI's help . . . I know this is unusual, but I work with the best forensic anthropologist in the country and wouldn't you like to know for sure if some drug user killed your cousin or if it was someone else?" Booth hoped Gerald would be interested. He needed someone like Gerald to make the request.

 _I did find it odd that some drug addict managed to overcome the security system at Gale's home. Why invade a house when someone is home? It would make more sense to break into a house where no one was home and just take what you wanted . . . I don't know how much pull I have, but let me see what I can do. I really would like a proper investigation done. Nothing against the Metro police, but I haven't had a lot of faith in their findings. Just too many inconsistencies . . . My wife agrees with me. She thinks either Gale's death was easier to blame on a junkie so they could just put a check in their win column or something else is going on . . . You do know that Gale worked for the CIA? There is also the fact that my cousin was a black belt in Aikido and no junkie would have had a chance up against Gale. I told the police that, but they said that someone hopped up on drugs can be like a berserker. My wife and I considered that to be a load of rubbish. If the junkie was that high then how did he overcome the security system? Does that sound plausible? . . . Thank you for calling me. You've made me realize I should have pushed harder than I did. My Uncle was a former ambassador and my father is Strickland Storm. You may not know who he is, but the people that count in the District do know and if I get him to make the request that should do it. I'll get back to you Agent Booth . . . Soon._

Oooooooooooooooooo

"Well Cher, that's quite a pot you stuck your big spoon in." Caroline charged in to Booth's office, stopped in front of his desk and placed her hands on her hips. "Strickland Storm paid a visit to my boss and he wants the Gale Storm case reopened and he's asked for you to be in charge of the investigation . . . Care to explain what's going on?"

Booth stood up, moved across the room, closed the blinds and locked the door. That accomplished he turned to face his friend. "Gale Storm was murdered a few months ago. Danny Beck, a CIA Agent that I know brought to me some information about the murder. Gale was an analyst for the CIA and it looked like his murder investigation had been botched. Both Danny and his boss wanted the case reopened, but they didn't want to make it political. Danny came to me with their suspicions and I thought their concerns were worth looking into. There are too many inconsistencies in the investigation and I think we should take a good look at Gale's death. I talked to Gales' cousin, Gerald Storm who thought the case was botched too. The Storm family has served the United States with honor since the War of 1812. They deserve to have Gale Storm's death be treated seriously." He knew he wasn't being a hundred percent up front about Danny and the CIA, but he wanted to investigate Gale Storm's death. He had no idea what Danny was up to and why, but he was done waiting on Danny to get the job done.

Caroline shook her head and sat down. "Strickland Storm is a very scary man to cross. Of course, the Attorney General has given the green light for you to take over the investigation, but he would have liked to have been given a heads up before General Storm marched into his office. Cher' that was quite a meeting. I was there and I'm glad I wasn't the object of Strickland's wrath . . . Next time, keep me informed. We'd have opened the case without involving Strickland Storm, believe me."

"Sorry, Caroline." Booth knew that what he was trying to do was going to upset some apple carts, but he didn't want to take chances. "When Gerald told me he was going to involve his father it was too late to stop it. I talked to Gerald two hours ago, so he must have contacted his father right away. I was in a meeting with Bishop until fifteen minutes ago and I've been looking over my emails and handling calls."

"You should have called me anyway." Caroline sighed. "You'd better not botch this case either. Now that General Storm has his back up, no one had better do less than their best."

Booth agreed. "We're on this one, Caroline. We're going to find out what happened to Gale Storm and we will find out who murdered him and why."

Appeased for the moment, Caroline walked over to the door and paused. "We should have been involved from the start. The Attorney General knows that. We just let the Metro Police do the investigation without any oversight. My boss is embarrassed, Cher'. He's embarrassed and he wants the case handled quickly and thoroughly."

"Got it." Booth watched his friend leave. "Shit! Danny you're going to owe me big time when this is done."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	100. Chapter 100

(The Babe in the Bar)

Thank you for reviewing my story. It is the only way I can tell if you are reading it or not.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The casket was quietly rolled into the Lab with great care and as much dignity as possible. Representing his family, General Strickland Storm wearing his uniform, his hat tucked under his arm followed the casket down the hallway while Booth followed respectfully behind. Once the casket reached the platform, four workers at the Lab carried it up the steps and placed it near one of steel examination tables.

Not sure if he was welcome on the platform, General Storm stayed below and observed the casket being opened by Dr. Cam Saroyan who spoke out for the public record. "As mandated by the writ of exhumation by Judge Burton Collier of the D.C. Federal Judicial District, I Dr. Camille Saroyan will be performing an autopsy of Gale Storm, under the auspices of the Jeffersonian Institution. Date of Death: February 6, 2010, Date of Internment: February 18, 2010. Date of exhumation: today. Also present at the post-exhumation autopsy is Dr. Temperance Brennan and Dr. Jack Hodgins.

Satisfied that everything was being done by the book, General Storm turned to face Booth. "I wish to be notified once you have the results of the autopsy. Me and my son Gerald are all the family Gale had and we want to make sure that everything that can be done, is done to find his murderer. He was an honorable man working for the country that he loved. We don't want his death swept under the rug because it's convenient."

"No Sir." Booth admired General Storm and hoped that he could give him closure. "When Gale's case was mentioned to me by CIA Agent Beck, I had one of my people look into the matter and she noticed a few things done during the investigation that raised a few red flags. I read part of the Metro P.D. case file and I found out that Phil Dunmore, the man accused of killing your nephew is illiterate and not likely to have the special skills needed to defeat an advanced security system like the one found in Gale's house. There are too many other inconsistencies in the case that need to be resolved. Thank you for allowing us to exhume Gale's body. We will do our best to solve his murder and I will keep you and your son informed of our progress."

"Thank you." The General had nothing else to say about the matter. "I will leave this to you." Moving around Booth, the older man walked down the hallway to the entrance, handed his clearance badge to a security guard waiting for him at the entrance and left.

"Whew." Booth admired the General, but the man made him nervous. Confident in his partner and the rest of his team, Booth knew that Gale's murderer was going to be found and hopefully it led them to the person of interest at Homeland Security. He had given Danny Beck all the time he was willing to give. Now a real investigation was begun and Booth would get his answers. "I'm going back to the Hoover. Call me when you have something." Not waiting for a reply, Booth left. He had his job to do while his people did theirs. They were a great team and he was proud to be working with such skilled capable people.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Cam and Brennan examined the remains and immediately found that the autopsy had not been completely truthful. It had been reported that Gale Storm had been attacked by Phil Dunmore in his bedroom with a knife and that Phil had stabbed Gale in the heart killing him while he slept.

Her fingers lightly touching a large bruise she had found on the victim's left ribs, Cam shook her head. "For a dead man, Gale put up one hell of a fight." Biting her lower lip, she continued to look at each bruise and was disturbed by what she found. "All of these bruises were done around the same time of his death. If Phil Dunmore stabbed Gale in the heart killing him instantly then why the bruises? . . . There are bruises on his stomach, his ribs, his upper arms, his hands and one on his jaw . . . I will be very interested in hearing Dr. Bannon's explanation about the bruises. They should have been noticeable during the autopsy that he did."

Brennan stared at the dark bruise on the victim's mandible. "He fought for his life . . . Phil Dunmore is a long-time drug addict. Under weight, anemic, frail . . . If he stabbed Gale in the chest killing him instantly then there should be no bruises on Gale's body. The copy of the Metro report contained a mug shot of Dunmore and he is unmarred. According to his cousin Gerald, Gale was a black belt in Aikido. None of this makes sense."

His focus on the bloody pajamas, Jack shook his head in disgust. "I'd also like to know how a man who is stabbed in the chest while he's sleeping in his pajamas managed to not get any cuts in the cloth of the shirt. None . . . Blood, but a lot less than I expected . . . This man was not killed in these pajamas . . . The bruises . . . he was attacked, he fought hard to save his life and someone stabbed him to end the fight. They stripped him, dressed him in his pajamas and laid him on his bed . . . I need access to the crime scene."

"It's been over four months." Cam would make sure that happened, but she didn't have any hope he'd find anything. "I'm sure the house was cleaned up and there are probably new owners. Property prices are high in Georgetown. I don't see it sitting empty this long."

Hodgins shrugged his shoulders. "We won't know until we go look. Even if they have cleaned it up, I still might find something."

Lightly touching the victim's mandible, Brennan sighed. "I think Hodgins is right. We need to see the house. There is more to the story than the Metro Police uncovered. A lot more."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Strickland Storm had good news for Booth. His nephew's house had not been sold after all. His son Gerald had decided that he wanted to keep it and use it when he was in town. He planned to live in it when he moved back to the States in a few years. The house had belonged to Lucian Storm and Gale had inherited it when his parents had been killed in a boating accident. Since Gale had no descendants, Gerald had been his heir.

The General also had one condition that he insisted upon before he allowed the techs and the FBI Agent to enter the house. He wanted to meet Booth and the Jeffersonian techs at the house and he wanted to observe them at work. Booth didn't know why, but he saw no harm. He might be able to ask the General a few questions while he was there.

General Storm opened the front door to the house and let Booth and his entourage in. Once everyone was inside, the older man stood in the living room near the picture window and observed. "I had the mattress and the sheeting on Gale's bed removed. They're long gone, so you won't be able to see them, sorry. Nothing else has been done to the house. Gerald and his wife plan to come over around Christmas time and they're going to replace the mattress and the bedroom curtains. The floors are hard wood, so no blood stained carpets to replace."

Booth waved his hand in acknowledgement. "We're lucky that the house wasn't sold, so we'll take what we can get, Sir."

"Gerald has twin sons who are going to Georgetown. They're living with me at the moment." Storm glanced around the room. "My brother Lucien loved this house."

Nodding his head, Booth walked into the bedroom and leaned against the door frame while he watched Brennan and Hodgins using their black lights in the dark room. "Anything?"

"Not yet." Brennan walked towards the doorway her light trained on the floor. "Some blood drops that were cleaned up." She motioned for Booth to step aside. "I think we should check each room. I don't think he was killed in this room."

Hodgins agreed, left the room and went back into the living room. Closing the curtains behind the General, he moved methodically around the room and found signs of blood in various places near the front door that led to signs of a large pool of blood between the living room and the kitchen. "He opened the door . . . walked over there, that's where the spots start . . . he fought with someone . . ." Hodgins moved his light over various spots where blood had been cleaned up and then to the pool. "He was murdered here."

Booth made a few notes and placed the notebook back in his jacket pocket. "Make sure you photograph every spot and the pool . . . so Gale probably knew his assailant or assailants or at least knew them well enough to invite them into his house . . . Can we lift up the boards and see if there's blood underneath? If Gale fought as hard as it looks like he did, then maybe he drew blood from his murderers."

It was a good idea and Hodgins smiled. "Yeah, I'll get a team out here and we'll do that as soon as possible."

General Storm saw the proof of his nephew's murder and felt so proud of the young man. He had not died willingly. "He went down swinging. I always knew that boy was made of good stuff . . . Do what you want with the floor. I'm sure Gerald will want to replace the boards anyway." Moving through the front door, he walked over to his car and leaned on it. The death of his nephew had been hard on him and now he knew that there was more involved than a drug addict looking for cash. He would definitely have a few words to say to the police chief. A few choice words about the coroner they used too.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Danny was waiting for Booth when the FBI Agent left his office for the day. Leaning against Booth's truck in the parking garage, the CIA Agent called out to his friend as he left the elevator. "I told you I was looking into it."

"You weren't getting anywhere, Danny." Booth didn't feel like arguing, but he would defend his actions. "Your dead Federal employee was Gale Storm and his murder investigation was a joke. He wasn't killed by a damn junkie. He was assassinated by someone he probably knew . . . I'm taking over the case and I'm going to find out who killed him. If it leads me to your person of interest in Homeland Security then too damn bad . . . Abbot was into something and he was in over his head. Gale Storm was murdered because he had some proof that your man in Homeland Security was into something bad. It's the only thing that makes sense. How Gale got the info he had and why, I don't know, but by the time I'm done I will. The Agency should have come to me and asked me to investigate this case, instead you've been acting like there was no rush or your man could handle it . . . All of this is connected . . . Kirby's people, the death of Agent Harper, Abbot, Gale Storm, the Homeland Security guy . . . I don't know who you've been using as an investigator, but he's incompetent as hell. Once I read the police report and my people looked at Gale Storm's body we knew that something was wrong. Your analyst was murdered and that drug addict had nothing do with it . . . Damn it Danny! What kind of game have you been playing at?"

The CIA Agent didn't really have any answers for his friend. "This isn't a game."

"No shit." Booth walked around Danny, entered his truck, pulled out of his parking space and left.

Amused, Danny lifted his phone out of his jacket pocket and made a call. "I told you he'd run out of patience sooner or later. He and his team have already found out that Storm wasn't killed by the junkie and he's connecting Abbot, Kirby and that jerk at Homeland. I wish Storm had come to me or you before he was killed. Why he had to keep it a secret was beyond me. Maybe he wanted to verify what he had, I don't know, but he's dead now . . . what a waste . . . We could have gone to the FBI with his proof and got them to look into what he had . . . Booth is going to figure it all out and when he does . . . well, some careers are going to be dust and someone is going to be on death row."

 _Good. Our hands will be clean and that's what matters. I wish Booth would have moved his ass sooner. He has more patience than you and I gave him credit for._

"Yeah, I thought he would have taken over before this." Danny moved over to his car and leaned on it. "I think getting Tom to lean on Max Keenan was the final straw that we needed. Those pages and the tape pushed Booth and his girlfriend to the breaking point. Now they're involved and we'll finally find out what's going on."

 _If Metro Police had done their fucking jobs and not pinned Gale's death on a junkie we would've been further along in this case and we might have that fucking traitor in Homeland behind bars by now. Damn it! The longer he's free the more damage he can do . . . Keep in contact with Booth. Help him when you can._

"Will do." The call ended, Danny got into his car. This had been a long play, but it was finally paying off. The CIA had no legal right to do investigations in the United States, so it sucked that he had to manipulate an old friend to get him to do it. He wanted Gale Storm's death revenged and he wanted the Jerk at Homeland on death row. This was a pretty big conspiracy. Just how big was still unknown, but he was counting on Booth and Brennan to find out.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story.


	101. Chapter 101

(The Doctor in the Photo)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The fact that they were looking into Gale Storm's death didn't mean they didn't have other cases to deal with. A cardiologist's body had been found under a tree, entwined in the roots after lightening had struck and killed the tree. They followed the clues and finally determined that the woman had been killed in an accident. She had not been murdered. Lauren Eames had stood in the street on a stormy night and had been run over and killed. Her body had been buried under a newly planted tree by someone who had panicked and her remains had laid there until their morbid discovery.

"She was alone." Brennan had felt sympathy for Lauren. The cardiologist had been a leading light in her field, but she had cut herself off from personal relationships. Lauren had no real friends and when she died, no one had noticed. Brennan found that abhorrent. "I was like her."

Booth knew that Brennan had taken the case personally. She had felt empathy for the victim and she had a hard time letting the case go. "Not really. Yeah, she was the top in her field like you, but you have friends, family . . . Me. If you disappeared, I'd know it Bones. I'd never give up searching for you until I found you. Believe me. I love you too much to ever let you go silently into the night."

She moved closer to her boyfriend, laid her arm across his chest. They had retired earlier that evening, but they were both too restless to sleep. "Thank you. If you disappeared, I would search for you too." Brennan could see where her life could have ended up like Lauren's. "She didn't have any friends. She didn't want a personal relationship with anyone. She was afraid to feel anything and yet she wanted to feel something. When I was younger I was like that . . . before I met you. I had Angela in my life, but she was the only one who cared if I lived or died, then you came into my life . . . I'm glad I do have friends and I'm glad that you are part of my life . . . You helped me feel thinks I have never felt before."

Flattered and yet sad for Brennan, Booth moved his arm and encircled her shoulders. "You've helped me a lot Bones. Beside Pops and Parker, I was alone too. You gave me a family. We're family and someday we're going to have a little Bones running around and we'll be an even bigger family. It was the luckiest day of my life when I met you."

"Booth . . . about having a baby . . . you do still want a child, don't you?" Brennan held her breath. She was so nervous.

"I sure do . . . look, I know we've been pretty busy and we haven't had any luck yet, but someday you're going to get pregnant and when you do I am going to be so happy." Booth knew that his girlfriend wanted a baby, but so far, they hadn't had any luck. "This isn't your fault, so don't blame yourself, okay? We just have really busy lives and the pressures of what's been going on with Max and Abbot and Gale Storm's investigation . . ."

Brennan smiled. "Booth stop talking. I have something to tell you . . . I'm pregnant." Laying partially on his chest, she felt him inhale sharply then relax and breathe out.

"Really? Oh my God, Bones." Booth was stunned. They had been trying for months to have a baby and now it was happening. He held her tightly in his arms, afraid to let her go. "God, you make me so happy. A little Bones of our own. Wow!"

Pleased with his reaction, Brennan snuggled against his chest. "You make me happy too, Booth."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Pete Jackson was one of the best hackers in the country, or at least he thought so. He owned thousands of dollars in computer equipment and his house had the best security system in the country or at least he hoped so. Part of his basement was a fortress of solitude and unless he pointed out that the half basement was really a full one, no visitor had ever suspected that all was not as it seemed.

Sitting in his computer room, he diligently worked on tracking down the common denominators surrounding Abbot, Kirby and all of his minions. He couldn't find any connections with anyone at Homeland Security, so he set that aside for the moment and moved on to something else. He had managed to determine who the murdered Federal Agent was about the same time that Angela did. Once he had a name, he checked into the murder investigation and was appalled with the poor performance by the Metro police department, until he checked into the background of the detective assigned to the case. The man was deeply in debt and miraculously the week after he was assigned Storm's case, his debt disappeared.

Intrigued, Pete tracked down the cash infusion into Detective Donald Chute's bank account and found some intriguing facts. The money came from a bank account in Switzerland. _Ah the classics._ After a little careful hacking, he found that the account belonged to a mercenary group owned by William King. King's Company was notorious for working for the highest bidder which usually meant dictators. While Pete found that a bit odd, he was determined to find out why Chute deserved King's money.

Aware that he was investigating a company that would think nothing of killing him and making him disappear, Pete was careful how he approached the problem. Being the cautious man that he was, he decided to continue his investigation of Chute and to leave King's Company alone for the moment.

It wasn't too long before he found the connection between Chute and King. Donald Chute had a cousin that worked for homeland security and that cousin was an old school mate of William King. That excited Pete. He called Max and arranged a meeting.

The next day, Max arrived at the baseball stadium, found his seat and bought a glass of beer from a vendor passing by. Looking around, he didn't see anyone looking at him directly, but then again, he was surrounded by thousands of people, so he couldn't be absolutely sure he wasn't the object of attention.

Pete sat down next to his friend, bought a beer and a hot dog and checked out who was warming up in the pitcher's bull pen. He remained silent during the warm ups, but once the game was started, he felt free to talk. No one would be able to eavesdrop on any conversation while thousands of voices cheered and jeered around them. He leaned closer to Max, his eyes on the game and his hand over his mouth. "I think I found the Homeland Security guy Booth told you about in that meeting of his. Deputy Director Wayne Kitchen. He's an old school mate of William King of King's Company. King paid off the debts of the Metro detective that investigated Gale Storm's death and surprise surprise . . . Kitchen is also the cousin of the detective."

"Shit!" Max wasn't sure what to do with the information, but he'd have to make up his mind soon. His hand over his mouth, Max kept his eyes on the pitcher down below. "Okay, keep digging into Kitchen, but be careful. God knows what's going on. King's Company and a Homeland Security Deputy Director? This is not good."

Pete agreed. For the rest of the game, both men ignored each other and once the game was over, left without speaking to each other.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Angela was nervous, very nervous. She asked Booth to come to her office whenever he could find the time and while she waited, she checked her office for listening devices and cameras, then did the same for Hodgins, Cam and Brennan. She also ran the wand in the hallway outside of each office, but thankfully found nothing.

Once Booth was in the Lab, they all met in Angela's office with the blinds drawn and the door locked. Booth didn't comment on the precaution. He noticed how nervous Angela was and he felt a pain in his stomach. _This looks bad._

Clearing her throat, Angela swallowed her nervousness and decided that they were as safe as they were going to be. Instead of using her computer, she handed out photocopies of pictures. "Okay, I'm trying not to use my computers right now. I'm updating my firewalls at this moment. I plan to update everyone's computer firewalls in the next few days. I can't do that to yours at work Booth. Sorry. The FBI would come after me, but I can upgrade your computer at home." Everyone nodded their head. They knew that Angela was afraid. "Okay, I think I found the Homeland Security guy that Danny is worried about."

Surprised, Booth looked at the three pictures in his hand. The second one gave him pause. "Deputy Director Wayne Kitchen? You've got to be kidding me . . . He served in Desert Storm. He's a hero. He . . . He was part of the unit that saved my life when I was captured by the Republican Guard." Booth felt sick. "Are you sure?"

She had known that Booth was going to be upset and she wanted to cry for her friend. "Yes . . . let me explain what I found out . . . The detective that botched Gale Storm's murder investigation is Kitchen's cousin. The detective, Donald Chute had a serious debt problem. He got involved in flipping houses in the Metro area just before the housing market crashed and well, he owed a hell of a lot of money to the banks. He was going to lose everything he owned, but suddenly he got a large cash infusion in his bank account and his debts disappeared. That money came from William King of King's Company."

"Fuck!" Hodgins rarely used strong curse words like that, but now he understood why Angela was afraid. "The man owns a mercenary company. He sells his services to dictators and the rest of the shit in the world." The entomologist was afraid. "He's been linked to a few disappearances including Janet Sheehan, that reporter for the Indianapolis Star . . . She was doing a story on his connection to the Beaker family and their connections to a drug company selling expired pharmaceuticals in Central America. No one could ever prove that the Beaker family was responsible or that King was responsible either, but he was working for the Beakers at the time . . . this is very bad."

Cam could see that Hodgins was afraid, but she also knew he was a brave man. "Settle down there Hodgins. You aren't alone in this. We already know that Danny and his boss at the CIA know about Kitchen and if they know about Kitchen then they probably know about King. You know Danny wasn't going to tell us everything. The CIA can't work in this country, but you know Danny has people outside the Agency looking into this for him."

"Yeah, that's right." Hodgins didn't trust the CIA, but at least the Agency knew about Kitchen which meant they knew about Chute and probably the King connection. "Okay . . . yeah."

"If Danny doesn't know, he will after Booth tells him." Brennan glanced at her partner and saw him nod his head in affirmation. "Now we know that Wayne Kitchen was the one working with Abbot to shut down our partnership. Perhaps he was worried that we would be handed the case and that we'd eventually find Gale's murderer and that it would lead back to him. Obviously, the drug addict is innocent of that particular crime, so whoever murdered Gale may lead us back to either Kitchen or King. Danny said that Gale had some kind of proof that Kitchen had betrayed his oath as Deputy Director at Homeland Security. If we find out who the murderer or murderers are perhaps we can find the proof against Kitchen. I am sure Danny will want to know what is going on since this involves his dead analyst."

Cam agreed. "Let Danny know and we continue to do our jobs. I'm running DNA tests on all of the blood samples found in Gale's house including those under the floor boards in the living room. I should have an answer in a few days. I think we should leave General Storm out of the loop for the time being. I do not want to be responsible for the death of a war hero. He deserves answers, but we need to get all of our ducks in a row and make sure everyone is safe, including the Storm family."

Booth agreed. "I'll contact Danny." He wondered how his friend was going to take this. He had served in Desert Storm too and the idea that Major Kitchen was a traitor must be gnawing at him. Booth felt sick about it, but he would do his job.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"William King? King's Company?" This was news to Danny and it infuriated him. "I knew about Chute, but not about King . . . God damn mercenaries. They'd sell their soul for money." His boss was going to be livid. The man hated William King and if this could be used to destroy King's Company the Agency would use it. "Damn it!"

"Cam is running DNA tests on the blood we found in the house to see if we can identify the murderers." Booth leaned against the oak tree and stared at James Rawlings gravestone. He had plans to visit Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day along with Pops and Brennan. James had been his grandfather's friend and he had been killed in action. They visited his grave every year. "Since Gale had a black belt in martial arts, Bones doesn't think one man attacked Gale. We're looking for at least two assailants. Once we get that information, we'll see where it leads."

Danny stared out at the many gravestones before him and sighed. "Keep me informed."

"I will." Booth turned and stared at his friend. "Kitchen saved my life in Iraq. How did you know I wouldn't cover this up and point the evidence somewhere else?" Booth was curious. If he had been in Danny's shoes, he would have never let Seeley Booth near this case.

Amused, Danny laughed. "Yeah right. You are not built that way. You couldn't cover up a crime like this. You love your country and if Kitchen is a traitor then I know you'd want to know why. That's who you are. I never doubted you for a second."

"Thanks." Booth turned and walked away. He really hated this case. It had taken an ugly turn and it made him feel ill, but he would not fail to investigate it properly.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	102. Chapter 102

(The Doctor in the Photo)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Unable to get home before Booth, Brennan worried that she wasn't doing all she could to support him. The fact that Homeland Security Deputy Director Wayne Kitchen was the CIA's person of interest had been a blow to Booth and try as she might she couldn't leave work before he did. As soon as possible, she left for home and once she was there and parked in the driveway she noticed that the lights in the living room were off.

Leaving her car, she hurried up the walk way to the front door, entered the house and found it dark. The only light she could see was the light above the stove in the kitchen. Turning on a few lights in the hallway and the living room, she hurried down the hallway in search of her mate. Not finding him in any of the rooms, she checked the man cave and found it unoccupied. Her worry growing, she opened the back door, stepped out onto the patio and found Booth sitting on a chair facing the back yard. A bottle of Scotch was resting on the ground at his feet and he held a glass in his hand. "Are you alright?"

"No . . . no I'm not." Booth had tried to reconcile the fact that the man whom the CIA was concerned about was Major Wayne Kitchen and he was failing. "I don't understand. He's a hero. He earned a silver star during Operation Desert Storm . . . he saved my life and now . . . and now . . ." He couldn't finish his thought.

"And now it looks like Kitchen may be involved in the murder of Gale Storm, possibly Congressman Abbot." Brennan moved a chair next to Booth and sat down. "It's possible he's committed treason . . . Just because he was a good man once doesn't mean he's a good man now."

He knew she was right, but the man was the Deputy Director of Homeland Security. He worked in the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers Division. "It doesn't make sense. None of this makes sense." Booth moved his glass to his lips and drained the amber liquid from the glass.

"I'm sorry that you're in pain, Booth." She knew that Booth loved his country and his loyalty to the Army was strong, but now she feared that the betrayal of Wayne Kitchen might lead Booth down a path he shouldn't take. "You're not responsible for Wayne Kitchen's actions. If he has done the things we think he has done, then he is the antithesis of the things you believe in . . . Yes, he was a hero and he saved your life, but you don't owe him any loyalty if he has betrayed the things you value."

He didn't say anything for a while. Finally, he placed the glass on the ground next to the bottle, clasped his hands, leaned forward and sighed. "I was on a mission . . . we were looking for an Iraqi General in the Republican Guard. An informant had told us where he might be, and I had orders to end him if I could . . . My spotter, Rick Metcalf and I found the General where we were told he'd be, but the village he was in had too many soldiers in it. It was an armed camp . . . We couldn't get close enough to do our job, so we aborted the mission. We were on the way back to our unit when we were captured. We were in enemy territory, a lot of Republican Guard were around and we tried to stay out of sight, but I guess someone spotted us . . . we were captured and taken back to the village we had just left . . . They beat us." Booth stopped. The memory of that beating had never left him. As horrifying as his father had been to him as a boy, it was nothing compared to what had happened to him as a prisoner of war.

She could hear the thickness in his speech and Brennan knew that her mate was upset. Placing her hand on his knee, she tried to stop him from speaking about his ordeal. "You don't have to talk about it, Booth. I understand what you went through."

Even though she was sitting next to him, he didn't hear her. He was thousands of miles away in a war that never seemed to end. "They wanted to know why we were there, where my unit was. We didn't talk. Metcalf was beat unconscious. They fractured his skull. It's a miracle he wasn't killed . . . After a while they threw us in a room without windows. I'm not sure how long we were there . . . an officer came back after a while. He had two men tie me to a chair and he tipped it over. The officer took off my boots and socks and . . . and he laughed. The bastard used a hose and beat the bottom of my feet . . . it hurt like hell and I screamed. I couldn't help it."

"Of course, you couldn't help it." Brennan gripped Booth's knee trying to connect to him. "The pain was probably excruciating." She remembered seeing his x-rays a few years ago. She had known then that Booth had been tortured.

He was still mentally in Iraq and didn't hear her. "He took a steel rod and broke my right leg . . . I wanted to kill him. I wanted my hands around his neck and I wanted to kill him, but I couldn't do anything. When he broke my leg, I passed out and when I woke up, Major Kitchen was leaning over me. He gave me some water . . . I was so thirsty, but I could barely keep it down . . . my feet, God my feet . . . his men got me and Metcalf out of there. I don't know how they found us, but they did and they saved our lives . . . Kitchen visited me before they moved me on to Kuwait. He told me that he wished he'd found me sooner, but he knew that I would be alright . . . He saved my life and now . . . now I have to go after him. I can't let him get away with murder and treason." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I have to do my duty."

She moved her chair closer to Booth and placed her around his back. "Yes and I'll help you, Booth. I'm here to help you."

Booth heard her and sat up. "Yeah . . . Danny was in Desert Storm too. He was CIA, but he served his country and this situation has to be bad for him too . . . We'll do our jobs. We'll all do our jobs. Gale Storm deserves justice . . . Kitchen was in high school when Augustus Harper was murdered by Kirby. He wasn't old enough to be part of Kirby's deal, so I'm not sure what the connection between Kitchen and Congressman Abbot is, but we're going to find out. Abbot was part of Kirby's clique and we've been trying to tie that in to what happened to Gale, but we were wrong to do that . . . This is something else. Somehow, Gale found out that Kitchen was committing treason or had committed treason and he was looking into it before he passed it on to his bosses. Since Gale monitored Russian blogs and web sites that tells me that the information came from something he'd seen doing his job. I need to talk to Danny and get him involved . . . We need to have another meeting with Angela and . . . everyone. We've been trying too hard to connect all of this to Kirby and we need to stop. Abbot is part of this mess, but his connection to Kitchen is the key. Not Kirby."

"I agree."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Danny handed the file over to Booth and shook his head. "These are the blogs and websites that Gale monitored. We've had people pouring over these sites trying to pinpoint what set this whole thing off, but we haven't had any luck so far. We know that two of the blogs have gone silent since Gale died and everything in those accounts were deleted. I had someone try to go through Gale's emails, but . . . this is embarrassing . . . two months of his emails are missing. They've been deleted from the Company server and it wasn't done by Gale. They were deleted the day after he was murdered. That shouldn't have been a problem since everything is backed up on our servers, but . . . the backups don't exist . . . they were backed up, don't get me wrong, but they don't exist now."

"Damn it." Booth took the file and flipped it open. "You have a traitor at Langley."

"No shit!" Danny's boss had been on top of the problem since they had found out about the missing emails, but so far they hadn't found out who had destroyed them. "I have a specialist looking into it, but he said it might take a while. He's been working on it for a couple of months . . . fucking computers."

Booth wasn't a fan of computers either. "If you need help, I have a genius computer expert working with me."

"Angela, yeah I know." Danny rubbed the back of his head. "I'd like to get her help, but I can't. This is an internal problem and she doesn't have security clearance. My tech says it's possible we may not recover anything. Whoever killed Gale made sure to destroy his proof about Kitchen. I wish Gale had come to us when he found whatever it was he found. He'd still be alive and Kitchen would be in prison."

After he rolled the file in his hand into a tube, Booth turned and walked away. "I'm going to find the proof, Danny. If Kitchen is a traitor he isn't going to get away with it. Not on my watch."

Danny was counting on that. "Good. If you need anything else from me, let me know."

"Yeah, your house is a mess, Danny. I think it would be better if you found the emails and anything else that was deleted and who deleted them. Find your traitor at Langley and we'll work on Kitchen. Maybe we'll find out what the hell is going on."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

They met at The Library Express on K Street. They sat at the table in the corner of the reading room, one reading a newspaper and the other reading Brennan's latest book. Talking quietly, Pete laughed when he got to page 83. "Oh my god. If this is what she does in her bedroom then her boyfriend must be worn out."

"Hey, you're talking about my daughter." Max was not prudish by any stretch of the imagination, but he didn't want to talk about his daughter's sex bits in her books. "Why'd you need to see me?"

Pete stared at the page while talking to his friend. "I nosed around in some places I probably shouldn't have and found a way into a certain agency's server. The funny thing is that I did it with the help of a hacker."

Max shrugged his shoulders. "Okay." He didn't know a lot about computers, but he hoped Pete was careful.

Amused, Pete chuckled. "The hacker is someone that works at the Jeffersonian."

"Angela." Max shook his head. "She's pretty smart, but she's playing a dangerous game if she's messing around with CIA computers."

"Have you told Tempe or Booth about what I found out so far?" Pete glanced around the room to make sure no one was close enough to hear them.

Speaking quietly, Max kept his eyes on his newspaper. "No. How can I? If I mention it to either of them then it might make Tempe mad enough to cut me out of her life. She doesn't trust me as it is and me nosing into this case might be the last straw for her. She doesn't understand that it's being done to protect her, but . . . I don't know. I was thinking of sending an anonymous email from the library."

"Yeah, emails aren't anonymous. You have to have an email address to send an email. Sure, if you know what you're doing you can use an untraceable address and bounce it through a bunch of servers around the world, but you don't know how to do that and any email you send from the library would be tracked back to where you sent it from." For someone as intelligent as Max was, it astonished Pete just how little Max knew about computers. "Instead of risking hacking a Federal Agency's computers, I hacked into Angela's server and I found out that she knows a hell of a lot about what is going on. In fact, she found out about Wayne Kitchen, William King and Donald Chute . . . Angela is a damn good computer expert, but she isn't as good as I am . . . anyway, I left a surprise on her server. She should find it soon enough and when she does she'll have the proof they need to go after Kitchen. By the way, Angela needs to wipe her history every day, but she isn't doing that. Someone needs to talk to her." Pete chuckled. "When this is over, I might do it."

Surprised, Max looked at his friend. "You found something?"

"Yeah, it bugged me that a man like Gale Storm supposedly had some kind of proof of treason on Kitchen, but he kept it on his computer at work and nowhere else. From what I understand someone tore up his office looking for stuff too. I don't know if they found anything or not, but what he had on his computer must have been devastating . . . Hell, If I'd been him I would have had copies everywhere as an insurance policy. But then again, I know what a good hacker can do to a computer. I mean, his computer at home was wiped clean and a few months of emails and documents disappeared from his computer at work. He was looking into treason. He should have opened his mouth and told his bosses. What he did was just plain stupid and he set himself up to be murdered . . . anyway, supposedly some experts are looking into how Gale's emails and documents disappeared from his computer and from the backup servers at Langley, so I decided to take another route. Remember I said that I would have copies everywhere? Well, that made me think and I looked at Word documents, PDF files, images . . . stuff like that on his cousin's computer and on his ex-wife's computer. Gerald and Gale emailed each other a lot. They sent the normal crap friends and relatives send each other, but I decided to treat everything Gale sent to Gerald as important no matter how innocent it looked especially if it was sent the last few weeks before he died."

Max was fascinated. "Isn't Gerald Storm part of the staff at the embassy in Germany?" Wasn't Pete risking a lot doing that? "Their computers are probably being monitored by the CIA or something like that."

Pete shrugged his shoulders. He didn't feel like going into how security was set up at embassies. "He doesn't live at the embassy . . . don't worry it. Anyway, they're both into bird watching. They have birder lists that go back to when they were kids. Gale's list is smaller than Gerald's but they both were into nature and hiking and stuff. That being said, I started to look at the pictures of birds that Gale sent Gerald that he'd seen on his hikes around the country and I found a very weird anomaly. Gale sent Gerald a picture of a crow . . . A crow? Come on, every birder worth his salt has a crow on his or her list pretty early in their collection." He paused and made sure Max understood how important that was. "It's common as dirt."

"Yeah, I get it." Max wondered where Pete was taking him. "So, then what?"

Amused, Pete knew that his long story was starting to annoy Max. "So, I looked at the picture and found out it was using more storage space than one picture should be using and it blew my mind. Gale hid a file in an image file. It's a cool trick. The image file functions normally. Even if someone was snooping around in Gerald's network and he found the image of the bird he'd just see a bird. Nothing sinister about a crow . . . anyway I separated the file from the image file and I found what Gale had on Kitchen. I won't go into details unless you want me to."

Max shook his head. "Gale hesitated using whatever it was. Do you know why?"

"Yeah, I do and he should have just showed it to his boss and let him make the call." Pete pursed his lips. "I consider it a smoking gun, but I guess Gale wanted more. He didn't need more. Well, I found it and Angela will see it soon enough. I think Kitchen will be in jail for a very long time. By the way, I found the same picture on his ex-wife's computer, so Gale had tried to make sure he had access to copies if he needed them."

"What about King?" Max wanted William King to fall with Kitchen. The man was a terrorist and his company needed to be destroyed.

He knew that Max was loyal to his country even if he was a con man and a murderer. "They'll have to go after King some other way. The proof I found only pertains to Kitchen."

"Damn." Max was puzzled about one thing. "Why send the image to Gerald and not tell him about it? How was he supposed to know that the image was special?"

Pete laughed. "It was captioned, 'The crow commands, the captive must obey. Judge not what you see, but what I say."

"Pretty vague."

"Yeah, well, Gale couldn't exactly say this picture contains proof that Wayne Kitchen in Homeland Security is a traitor. I think he was counting on someone checking any emails he sent to family and friends if it went bad. All it took was someone like me who's suspicious as hell to see that the crow picture was special."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	103. Chapter 103

(The Body in the Bag)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

 _Nights in white satin never reaching the end, letters I've written never meaning to send . . . to send . . . to send . . . to send . . ._

Angela rushed over to her computer and turned the volume down. The music was too loud and she was afraid the song could be heard down in Bones Storage. She didn't know what was going on, but she assumed she had been hacked and sat down in front of her computer. Her hands poised over the keyboard she noticed a name flashing on her monitor. _Wayne_ _Kitchen._ The letters turning from blue to red it zoomed across the screen and the words ' _Don't ignore this one_ , _Pookie'_ appeared in pulsating red in the middle of the screen.

Squealing, she turned off her monitor and clenched her fists. Furious that some hacker had invaded her server and used her birth name, she considered going after him or her. Rising from her chair, she walked across the room, locked the door, closed the blinds and walked back to her computer. Cracking her knuckles, she sat back down and turned the monitor back on. "This means war, Bucko. You're messing with the wrong person." Since her computer was backed up daily, she knew that whatever damage the invader did to her PC wouldn't matter. They might turn her hard drive into a brick, but her data was safe. Before she could type more than two commands on her PC a copy of a letter popped up on her screen.

As she read it, Angela realized that if what she was reading was true, Wayne Kitchen might very well die in prison. "I need proof this is real damn it _."_

As if whoever had hacked her computer could hear her, a picture appeared on her screen. Then another a picture appeared and two more after that. Feeling sick, she wanted to throw up. While she fought the urge to be sick, Wayne Kitchen's name reappeared, then the letter appeared once more. Hurrying over to her desk, she grabbed her camera, ran back to her PC and took a picture of the screen. She was afraid doing a screen grab would be useless. Next, she recorded the pictures. The letter and the pictures were on a continuous loop, so she also recorded it using a video camera. Once that was done, she sat back down at her computer and interrupted the loop. She wanted to find out who had hacked her computer and she hoped there were some bread crumbs for her to follow. She needed to verify that what she had seen was real and not some photo shopped crap. "Pookie huh? Wait until I get my hands on you."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Angela called a meeting for later that evening. She had worked all day on her PC and had been unable to track down the hacker. Once she realized that she had been outsmarted, she worked on trying to corroborate the letter and the pictures. She found them in a folder that had appeared on her C drive and she backed them up on a new USB flash drive before they disappeared. Once that was done, she tracked down the names mentioned in the letter and was able to find out they were real people. Once that was done, she did a background check on the people mentioned in the letter and made sure their roles mentioned in the letter were possible. They were.

Once Booth and Brennan had arrived from the crime scene they had been working on, Angela made sure that Cam and Hodgins were notified and they all met in her office. Facing her friends, Angela cleared her throat. "This morning my computer was hacked and someone . . . a friend I suppose, downloaded a folder on to my PC. I spent a few hours trying to track down the hacker, but I didn't have any success. Once I realized I was getting nowhere, I turned my attention to the folder he or she sent me. For ease of conversation, I'm just going to say he . . . The folder contains a rather damning letter from someone to Wayne Kitchen and some rather disturbing pictures." She handed a copy of the letter to everyone and let them read it.

 _Wayne Kitchen, I'm sure you thought you would get away with what you did, but as you will see you didn't. Felecia Evans was a journalist doing her job. A true patriot. I know that you betrayed her and that betrayal caused her to be murdered._

 _Felicia came to you in good faith in May of 1997. She was working on a story about Robert Hanssen, the FBI traitor and she thought because you worked for the NSA at the time, that you'd be the one she could trust to investigate and bring down Hanssen. She couldn't trust anyone in the FBI because she didn't know if Hanssen was working alone or not. She gave what information she had on Hanssen to you and she thought that Hanssen would pay for what he did, but instead she was murdered._

 _Just so you know, Felicia wasn't naïve. Before she presented you with her evidence she made multiple copies of her evidence and sent them to people she knew she could trust. Three days after she talked to you, she was murdered. The Philadelphia Police department linked her death to a serial killer working in the area, but we know differently don't we? We know that you and Hanssen belonged to Opus Dei and you protected him because of that. Felecia Evans was a true patriot and you murdered her to protect a Russian asset, a traitor. Your ability to overlook treason because you belong to a cult is pretty disturbing._

 _We have a copy of the proof that she gave you and we have proof about what you did to her. One of Felicia's friends turned this evidence over to me because she knew that I belong to a patriotic organization that is trying take our country back from the rabble, the betrayers. This country took a wrong turn a long time ago and eventually we will push it back along the correct path to where it should have been before the Constitution started to be manipulated by the uneducated and the misinformed. I have taken care of the other copies Felicia sent out, so don't bother looking for them._

 _You now work for us. From now on you will do what we say. We are working for the restoration of our country and you will help us. FBI Agent Bud Abbot will be our liaison and whenever we need your help with a particular situation you will comply or we will release the proof that you betrayed your country to help Robert Hanssen. After that we will kill your family._

The letter ended and was not signed or dated.

"Shit if this letter is real then that's the connection between Kitchen and Abbot . . . I knew that Kirby had nothing to do with this mess." Booth crumpled the copy of the letter in his hand, refusing to look at it further. "What are the pictures you found in the folder, Angela?" He was angry, but he was trying to stay calm.

She didn't really want to show the pictures to the group, but Angela knew they wouldn't disturb her friends as badly as they had her. "I checked and these are crime scene photos of Felicia Evans' murder. She was killed in her bed after someone overrode her security system and broke into her house. There was a serial killer running loose in the Philadelphia area at the time and the police pinned the murder on him. Part of the serial killer's modus operandi was there at the crime scene, the flower placed in the victim's mouth, the knife sticking out of her chest, so much blood . . . but not everything was right. Felicia wasn't raped. Her hands weren't tied with a red piece of yarn. One out of three doesn't seem like enough to me."

"Killed in bed after the security system was disabled." Cam shook her head. "Now where have we heard of that before?"

Worrying about Cam's memory, Brennan stared in puzzlement at the coroner. "Gale Storm was killed the same way."

Booth nudged her arm. "Sarcasm, Bones."

"Oh." Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "Would it be possible to get a copy of all of the police reports pertaining to Felica's murder investigation sent to us? I would also like to exhume her remains. The letter seems authentic, but we need proof that it is real. I need to see if we can link Felicia's murder with Gale's murder. If they do connect then that might give the letter more veracity."

"I can try to get the body exhumed and the police reports." Booth stared at the crime scene photos. "I think it's time I talked to Caroline and bring her up to speed. If I can get her on board, she can help with that. I don't want to go behind her back anymore. She was pissed that I didn't tell her about Gale Storm before I involved Strickland Storm. If I do it again, my ass will be grass."

Cam nodded her head. "And no one wants to be on the wrong side of Caroline."

"You got that right." Booth admired Caroline, but he was just a little bit afraid of her. She could be a dangerous enemy if you crossed her.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Caroline stood in Angela's office, read the letter and looked at the crime scene photos. "How long have you known about Wayne Kitchen?"

"Two weeks." Booth crossed his arms against his chest. "CIA Agent Danny Beck told me about a Federal employee that had been murdered and how the dead employee had had proof that there might be a traitor at Homeland Security. The CIA can't operate in this country, so he needed help. Once we started looking into Gale Storm's death we connected him to Wayne Kitchen. He's the cousin of the detective that investigated Gale's death. The investigation was botched from the beginning and that left more questions. Angela was able to find out that the detective was paid by William King of King's company to pin the murder on some druggie. Now we knew that either King or Kitchen was trying to cover up something about the murder, but we weren't sure which one and why . . . Angela's computer was hacked yesterday and someone placed a folder in her computer holding that letter you have in your hand. I don't know how they got a copy of the letter, but Angela has been tracking down the people mentioned in the letter as much as she can and it all looks plausible. The clincher is the fact that Gale Storm and Felicia Evans both died the same way or at least they were supposed to have died the same way. Gale lived in Washington D.C. and Felicia lived in Philadelphia. Whoever killed them set up the bodies in the same way, in bed, stabbed in the heart. I don't believe in coincidences . . . Kitchen helped cover up Robert Hanssen's betrayal of this country and he probably murdered two people because of that betrayal."

Tired, Caroline walked past Angela and sat down on the chair near her computer. "Abbot was a go between for the writer of the letter and Kitchen. When Abbot was arrested for being part of Kirby's gang someone panicked and killed him . . . Kitchen or this mystery letter writer?"

"Looks like it." Booth shrugged his shoulders. "I mean not personally, but they got someone to do their dirty work for them. Abbot could bring down Kitchen and whoever this deluded patriot is and they didn't want him spilling his guts . . . We want to do an investigation into Felicia Evan's murder. The DNA tests came back from the blood we found under the floor in Gale Storm's house and we got a hit, but the man the blood belongs to is out of the country . . . he works for King's Company. We don't want to say anything right now. We don't have extradition rights in the Ukraine which is where Philip Jarvis is. I think they might turn him over if we asked, but who knows. They have their own troubles and they might not want to play ball. It would be best for everyone to wait for Jarvis to either come home or he travels to a country that has extradition with the U.S."

Not really shocked, Caroline sighed. "King's Company . . . I'd love to place that couillon under the prison, not just in it . . . we'll hold off on doing anything about Philip Jarvis. There is no statute of limitations for murder. Just keep gathering your evidence about Gale's murder and make it as air tight as you can. King can afford a lot of lawyers for his man . . . I'll try to get an exhumation order for Felicia Evans and the investigation records sent to you . . . This is going to make someone very nervous. I Hope your people can find whatever evidence Felicia Evans had. That would make everything else so easy."

Booth laughed. "I hope so." His smiled disappeared. "Even if we can't prove the letter is real, we should be able to tie Kitchen, Abbot and the two men working for King to the murder of Gale Storm and Felicia Evans. Jarvis didn't kill those two by himself . . . I'd like to know who wrote the letter, but that may not happen unless Kitchen talks. He may not since his family has been threatened."

"At this point, I'll take what I can get." Caroline stood up. "If we can get Kitchen for treason and murder we might be able to get King too. Right now all we can prove is that King's men murdered two people and that King paid off the debts of a dirty cop. King can claim his employees were rogue employees and he had given the money to Chute as a favor for Kitchen. I need to talk to Jarvis and whoever his partner was. Maybe they'll implicate their employer, but I doubt it."

Ooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

A/N: the song at the beginning is "Nights in White Satin' made popular by The Moody Blues in 1967. Robert Hanssen was a Special Agent for the FBI. He betrayed the United States by spying for The Soviet Union then Russia from 1979 until 2001 when he was caught. He's serving life in prison.


	104. Chapter 104

(The Bullet in the Brain)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The bullet shattered Heather Taffet's head into hundreds of pieces and left everyone around her prone body stunned. There had been a chance that The Gravedigger would be assassinated, so security had been upgraded to try to prevent it. Booth had done what he could, but he had known that if someone really wanted to kill Taffet then it would be extremely difficult to stop it.

Taffet had been responsible for the deaths of a lot of kidnapping victims over the years and some of her victims had been children. If there was one thing Booth knew, kidnapping and killing kids could drive parents to extreme behavior. He knew for certain that if anyone ever murdered Parker he would make that person pay for his crime and not through the justice system. He believed in law and in justice, but he knew that the murder of his son would be his breaking point and he assumed that he wasn't the only one that felt that way.

Although there was no one to mourn the passing of Heather Taffet, Booth and Brennan knew that they needed to find her killer. Their biggest fear was that the killer might not be done with his or her revenge. As they worked the case, it didn't take long to determine that the murderer had to be a professional sniper. The shot had been done at such a great distance that Booth could eliminate anyone with just an average knowledge of guns. He also had to consider the fact that the owner of the apartment where the shot had been fired had been murdered. It seemed a little bit too cold blooded to Booth for that to have been done by a grieving parent. Taffet's murder had been done by a professional sniper and the list of people in the country that could have performed that feat was a small number which included Booth. It was certain that he knew who the killer was personally, he just needed to figure out just who that person was.

Ooooooooooooooooo

During their investigation, they worked their way through a list of suspects until they were left with Jacob Brodsky. Determined to do his duty, Booth confronted Brodsky on a piece of land off of I-64 near Spottswood, Virginia. After confronting the killer, he chased him through the woods, twisted his ankle and was hurt when Brodsky blew up a building near the path they were running on. Booth had tried to bring himself to kill his adversary when Brodksy returned to check on him, but he couldn't shoot him if there was any doubt that the sniper hadn't killed Heather Taffet. He had struggled to pull the trigger and when Brodsky turned his back towards Booth, that was that. He couldn't shoot a man in the back.

As Brodsky walked away from Booth, he paused, turned slightly and stared at Booth over his shoulder. "I served under General Storm's command and I know what happened to his nephew. I also know that King's Company had something to do with his death. I won't tell you how I know, but let's just say that William King's men aren't all disloyal to their brothers in arms. Two of King's men killed Gale Storm."

"Why are you telling me this?" Booth still had his pistol aimed at Brodsky, but Jacob was careful to keep his back towards Booth.

Jacob laughed. "Because I'm not the evil person you think I am. I'm doing God's work getting rid of the evil that walks among us." As he walked away, Jacob half expected Booth to shoot him in the leg to try to stop him, but unsurprisingly the Agent didn't do it. He had been right. Booth could never take the shot unless he saw a face, unless he knew for certain that his target was guilty.

Brodsky knew that Philip Jarvis was in the Ukraine at the moment, but Butler Hyde wasn't and he was going to pay for what he had done to Gale Storm. As for William King, well betraying Strickland Storm was the line no one who had served with him should ever cross. King was a dishonorable man and he would die a dishonorable death.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The body was found lying at the feet of the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial. The FBI had jurisdiction and turned the body over to the Jeffersonian since they had a backlog at the Hoover. In a few days, after Cam had performed an autopsy and determined that the man was murdered Angela was able to identify the body as that of Butler Hyde and she called Booth. "That body that was found at the Lincoln Memorial was Butler Hyde. He works for King's Company."

"Damn it!" Booth knew who had killed Hyde and why. "I'll be over in a few minutes. Get Bones, Cam and Hodgins we need to talk."

Once he was in Angela's office, Booth stared at the picture of Butler Hyde and shook his head. "We knew that Philip Jarvis killed Gale Storm and we knew he didn't do it alone . . . When I confronted Brodsky . . . before I let him walk away . . . he told me that he knew about Gale Storm being murdered . . . Brodsky served under General Storm's command. He told me that he knew who had murdered Gale because he was told by someone in the King's Company organization. I think Brodsky killed Hyde because he betrayed General Storm by murdering his nephew. That means that Philip Jarvis may be next. He's in the Ukraine, but I think we need to find a way to get him back here before he's murdered. Brodsky will kill him if he gets the chance to do it."

"I doubt that Jarvis will be willing to come back to the States to stand on trial for murder and the Ukrainian government may not be willing to send him back since we don't have extradition with that country." Brennan stared at the picture of Butler Hyde. "I thought Brodsky is a paid assassin. I doubt General Storm paid Brodsky to commit murder. He has cooperated with us in the search for his nephew's murderer. Why not wait for us to make arrests?"

He considered what Brennan said and finally shook his head. "I don't think he'd do it either. Angela can you check his bank accounts and see if he's made any big withdrawals from his accounts lately? Also, check the accounts that belong to his son, Gerald.

"Sure." Angela sat down at her computer. "If you want to wait, it shouldn't take me more than a half hour."

Glancing at Brennan, Booth nodded his head. "Bones and I will go to the diner for some lunch. We'll be back in an hour."

The meeting over, Cam and Hodgins followed Booth and Brennan out of Angela's office. Pulling Cam to the side, Hodgins spoke quietly. "I hope General Storm didn't do it. It will kill Booth if he has to arrest him for collusion. He really respects Strickland Storm."

"I hope so too." Cam was worried about her friend. It was bad enough that Wayne Kitchen was a traitor. Booth didn't need any more of his heroes to fall. "This has been the craziest mess we've ever been involved in. I hope we wrap this up soon."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Wayne Kitchen had known that sooner or later he was going to pay for what he had done, but he had hoped it would be years from that point in time. He knew that he should never have tried to protect Hanssen from his fate, but he had been his dear friend and they had tried to do God's work for such a long time. The FBI Agent had come to believe that the world could end with a push of a button and that new alliances needed to be built to stop it. Hanssen had approached the GRU and started to sell details of US strategies in the event of nuclear war and developments in military hardware. Kitchen had found out what Hanssen was doing and had seriously thought about turning him in to the FBI, but Hanssen had talked him out of it. Somehow, he made Kitchen believe that he was doing God's work, as a path to stop the destruction of the world. Hanssen explained that the money he got from the Russians was to do good works and Kitchen wanted to believe him. He had looked away when he shouldn't have and then when he was in too deep he had had Felicia Evans killed by some of William King's operatives to stop her from exposing Hanssen and his dealings with Russia. He'd had a reporter killed to let Hanssen to continue to save the world, but he knew that his soul was irrevocably stained. He had done an evil thing and he couldn't take it back.

Hansen had told him that if he was exposed, he would not tell anyone about his link to Kitchen, but there was a chance he would be found out anyways. When Robert Hanssen was arrested and tried for treason, no one had come after him and Kitchen was relieved. Now he knew that had been a temporary reprieve. He had been blackmailed to do awful things after Felicia Evans had died. He had betrayed loyal men and women because he had been told he must and he had even had a few people murdered using King's Company. He had a lot to answer for when he died of that he was certain, but he had done what he did to protect his family. He had been told that if he betrayed his blackmailer his entire family would be wiped out and he believed it.

Sitting in the Hoover, Kitchen appeared to be calm as he watched Booth and Caroline Julian enter the interview room. "Agent Booth. It's been a long time."

With a tight rein on his emotions, Booth sat down and faced the man who had saved his life so many years ago in Iraq. "Do you know why you're here?"

Kitchen shook his head. "No, not really. The arresting officer mentioned murder, but who I supposedly murdered he wouldn't say."

Impressed with how calm Kitchen was, Caroline leaned back against her chair. "We have proof that you are connected to the deaths of Felicia Evans, Gale Storm and Bud Abbot. We exhumed both bodies of Felicia Evans and Gale Storm and they didn't die like their initial autopsies said they did. They were both assassinated. We can prove that Gale Storm was killed by Philip Jarvis of King's company. The detective that ran the investigation into his death was a cousin of yours and he was paid to mismanage that investigation. William King paid off his debts and Detective Chute pinned Storm's murder on a junkie . . . William King was a school friend of yours, so we do know how this all connects. Felicia Evans was killed by Butler Hyde. Some of his DNA ended up in her wound. Hyde worked for William King too. Philip Jarvis was probably involved in Felicia Evan's death. We'll know when we talk to him . . . Bud Abbot was your liaison with an organization that is involved in an attempted coup of our government."

"Wow, that's quite an imagination you have there." Kitchen leaned forward and rested his arms on the table in front of him. "Yes, William King is a friend of mine and yes he paid off my cousin's debts as a favor to me. Hell the man is wealthy and he wouldn't miss the money. If Donald botched Gale Storm's murder investigation then you need to talk to him not me. I work for Home Land Security and we don't do murder investigations. I don't know who Felicia Evans is and I don't know who Philip Jarvis and Butler Hyde are. Never met them. I did know Bud Abbot and I was shocked when proof showed up that he was connected to Deputy Director Kirby's dirty operations. It's a shame he died in jail. Still, he did make a lot of enemies out of career criminals, so being murdered by one of them wasn't much of a shock. As for an attempted coup, I work for Homeland Security. That is the opposite of a coup."

His eyes hooded, Booth pushed a copy of the letter that had miraculously appeared on Anglea's computer across the table and sat back waiting for a response.

Recognizing the letter, Kitchen shrugged his shoulders. "No date, no signature. My kid could have typed this mess up on his computer. Yes, I knew Robert Hanssen and I was shocked when it turned out he was a traitor to this country. It was just unbelievable."

A smirk on his face, Booth pushed another letter across the table. It was in an evidence bag and it had a catalog number. Pulling it towards him, Kitchen read it.

 _I Butler Hyde, do hereby swear that I killed both Felicia Evans and Gale Storm. I was paid by William King to do it. Wayne Kitchen, a Deputy Director at Homeland Security asked King to kill Evans and Storm and make it look like a loon or a serial killer killed them. I did what I was asked to do by King. King and Kitchen are working for an organization that wants to restructure our government. I'm sorry I got involved._

It was signed Butler Hyde and there was dried blood splattered on the paper. Booth cleared his throat. "Hyde was murdered two days ago. The blood on the paper is his. That is his handwriting."

Kitchen shrugged his shoulders. "It's not admissible in court." Caroline took her IPad from her purse, pushed a few buttons and turned it to face Kitchen. The video was clear and there was no mistaking what was seen or being said.

" _King ordered me to kill Felicia Evans and Gale Storm. His friend, Wayne Kitchen needed it done and it had to look like it was part of some other crime. King said Kitchen was mixed up in some treasonous shit with Robert Hanssen and Evans knew about it. Storm found out about it and he had to go too . . . We had a guy working at Langley take care of Storm's emails so no one would find out about the proof he had against Wayne Kitchen."_

" _What was the name of the guy at Langley?"_

" _Timothy Crane . . . So, the death penalty is off the table if I testify against Kitchen?"_

 _Caroline's voice could be heard. "Yes. You will serve life for each death. Not concurrently."_

 _Philip Jarvis shrugged his shoulders._

Cornered, Kitchen clasped his hands together and snarled at Booth. "I saved your life and this is how you pay me back?"

Booth stood up and left the room. Caroline shook her head and stood up too. "Booth is an honorable man, but you know that. He's also good at his job and that's why you tried to get him to sign up for Afghanistan. You were afraid that he might be called into to investigate Gale Storm's death if he stayed."

Sighing, Kitchen stared at the open doorway. "You do know I'll never make it to trial. I'm a dead man from this moment on. I just haven't stopped breathing yet."

"You could turn state's evidence against whoever blackmailed you to kill Gale Storm . . . We'll protect you." Caroline hoped the man took the deal.

Without mirth, Kitchen laughed. "Like you did Bud Abbot? I can't testify. My family will be killed. The people who've been blackmailing me will do it if I say one word about them . . . I won't make it to trial anyways, so don't worry about it."

"You were a hero in Iraq." Caroline found it hard to believe that such a man could fall so far.

"Yeah, that was a long time ago." Kitchen rubbed his eyes. "I made a lot of mistakes and the biggest one was being Robert Hanssen's friend. I let him bullshit me about what he was doing. I knew it was wrong, but somehow he made it sound like a holy mission. I wanted to believe that he was doing God's work . . . that I was doing God's work, but once Evans was dead I knew that wasn't true, but I couldn't bring her back to life. I couldn't fix it . . . I was a fool and I'm going to pay for that."

Nothing else to say, Caroline left the room. Once in the hallway, Caroline patted Booth's arm. "He isn't the hero you knew, Cher'. He's a murderer and you did your job giving Gale Storm and Felicia Evans justice. Kitchen brought all of this on himself. Nothing he did is on you."

"Yeah, I know." It made him sad that such a good man could do such evil things, but he saw it all of the time. His own father had shown him that evil could come in many forms. "I wish he would give us some names. Whoever is blackmailing him is going to get away with it."

"For now." Caroline would report everything to her boss and they would try to be vigilant. "We know they exist. We need to be cautious from now on. I hate to say it, but don't trust strangers. Don't trust anyone except those eggheads at the Lab and me of course."

"Of course."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	105. Chapter 105

(The Sin in the Sisterhood)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

 _Breaking new: William King, the CEO of King's Company has been reportedly killed in a plane crash. William King, who was piloting the plane, and three employees of King's Company were killed when his plane went down in the Ukraine. We will update this story as more news becomes available._

Angela sat staring at her television and felt her hands start to tremble. She was afraid and she wasn't too proud to admit it. Slowly, she reached for her television remote and turned it off. Her eyes darting around the room, she knew that she needed to calm down. She had valuable information to pass on to her friends and she needed to do it now. The trembling stopped, Angela stood up, ran her hands down her skirt to make sure it was straight and walked over to the doorway. Once in the hallway, she debated about who she should tell first and decided that Cam would be first.

Entering the coroner's office, Angela was relieved to see that Brennan was in the room too. "I had the news on in my office and I just heard that William King died in a plane crash along with three other people."

Stunned, Cam turned to look at her computer expert. "Where did the plane crash?" She wasn't sure why that was important, but she needed to know.

"They said the Ukraine." Angela shrugged her shoulders. "The country has been unstable since they had their 'Orange Revolution'. The western half is solidly Ukrainian, but the eastern half is more loyal to Russia. I don't know what King was doing there, but he won't be coming home."

Brennan turned in her seat and frowned at her friend. "I'm surprised that Wayne Kitchen is still alive. Of course, he hasn't divulged anything about the organization that was blackmailing him. He's too afraid his family will be murdered . . . Perhaps that organization didn't trust King to remain silent. Booth thinks they didn't trust Abbot and they had him killed, but there is no proof to back that up. It's just supposition."

Angela leaned against the doorframe. "If someone really did murder King and Abbot, shouldn't we be worried?" She was afraid that the blackmailers that Kitchen were worried about didn't value life at all.

"I don't think we need to worry about it right now." Cam clasped her hands and placed them on her lap. "They can only kill so many people before they draw too much attention to themselves. Abbot's murder wasn't questioned because he was killed by someone he had arrested in the past. King is . . . was the head of a company that hired out mercenaries. No one would be shocked if a man like that was murdered, but in this case, you said it was a plane crash. Plane crashes happen. Not often, but they do happen . . . If someone started to kill members of the Lab or the FBI, the press would notice and that would trigger a very public investigation. When Kitchen goes to trial, it will be for the deaths of Evans and Storm. He's been connected to Robert Hanssen and that is what the press will emphasize. The press is practically salivating right now over his future trial . . . I think we're safe, at least for the time being."

Satisfied, Angela nodded her head. "Someone needs to tell Booth about King, if he doesn't already know."

"I'll do it." Brennan stood up. "I'm sure Danny knows about it already."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

In his office looking over a few reports, Booth was surprised by a knock on his door. Turning his attention away from the file he had open on his desk, Booth noticed Strickland Storm standing outside his door. Standing, he hurried over to the door and opened it. "General Storm, I wasn't expecting you for another hour."

"Yes, I know, but the older I get the more impatient I get." Strickland smiled at the agent in a show of friendliness. "I was hoping you'd talk to me now and we can get this over with."

"Of course." Booth walked over the chair in front of his desk and pointed at the second one next to his chair. Once they were both seated, he began, "As you know Philip Jarvis and Butler Hyde were connected to the death of your nephew Gale. Butler was murdered before we could arrest him. We're still looking for his killer . . . Philip Jarvis agreed to be extradited back to the States. He pled guilty and he's going to serve the rest of his life in prison . . . The man they worked for, William King was killed in a plane crash yesterday, so that part of the case is closed. Wayne Kitchen, the man who asked King to have Gale killed is going to go on trial for two counts of murder and treason. Kitchen worked with Robert Hanssen and killed a reporter when she got on Hanssen's trail to protect him . . . We know the murder of Felicia Evans started this mess. She passed on her proof to several people before she was murdered as an insurance policy and we think Gale stumbled upon a copy somehow. We know that whatever he found, it pointed towards Kitchen being a traitor. He was using that piece of evidence to connect some dots, but his emails were deleted from his personal computer and his work computer the day after he was killed, so we don't know what he found. It looks like we're never going to know what he found, so at this point we're going to have to let that go. We may find out someday, but not right now . . . The CIA looked into the missing emails and the missing backup files and found that one of their employees had been responsible for the disappearances. Before they could talk to him about it, he died in a car wreck."

"There seems to be a lot of deaths involved in this case." General Storm shook his head. "Plane crashes, car wrecks, a murder. You do know there is no such thing as coincidences?"

Booth smiled. "Yes Sir, I do know that . . . Robert Hanssen committed treason with a foreign agent. He jeopardized our military and our country. Kitchen worked with Hanssen and someone went to a lot of trouble to protect Kitchen. That part of the investigation is open, but right now we don't have anything pointing to whoever it is . . . we won't give up, Sir. It's going to take time, maybe months before we get to the person behind Kitchen and King, but the case will remain open until we do. Too many people have died and their blood is not just on Kitchen's and King's hands. There was someone pulling their strings and I will find out who that someone is."

"Good." General Storm appreciated the complexity of what had happened and why his nephew was murdered. "My nephew is being reburied tomorrow. It will be a small private ceremony. I'd be honored if you would attend."

Flattered, Booth quickly nodded his head. "Yes, Sir. It would be an honor." He had always admired Strickland and he was glad that he could at least give the older man closure. "Your nephew tried to shut down treason. He paid for that with his life. We all owe him a debt of gratitude."

With nothing else to say, the General stood up and held out his hand. Once Booth stood and shook his hand, Storm cleared his throat. "The Storms have always been in the thick of things. Gale served in the Army, but he was injured by an IED and was given a medical discharge. He found a way to serve by joining the CIA. I was very proud of him. I am very proud of him."

"Yes Sir." Booth considered Gale Storm a hero. "I've been told a star will be put on the CIA Memorial Wall next Monday. I'm sure you've been notified, but if you haven't been I'm sure you'll hear something in the next few days."

"I was informed this morning." Storm smiled. "If Gale was here he'd fuss about the hoopla. He was a modest young man . . . I loved him like a son and I miss him."

Not sure if anything he said would matter. Booth just nodded his head and followed the General to the doorway. Once Storm was gone, he sat down at his desk and flipped through the file on his desk. Angela had looked into General Storm's banking records and as far as she could tell, he hadn't paid out any blood money to have Butler Hyde killed. Jacob Brodsky had gone after Hyde for revenge, not because he had been paid to do it.

He wasn't in the mood for paperwork, but it needed to be done before he got behind. It was the one part of the job that he considered a pain in the ass.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Danny stood next to James Rawlings gravestone and noticed a toy soldier sitting next to. Curious, he leaned over to pick it up.

"Don't . . . Parker put that there as a present for Rawlings." Booth walked over to the grave, crossed himself and said a quick prayer. "We were here this weekend with Pops. He wanted to visit his friend."

Moving over to where the oak tree stood, Danny leaned against it. "You did a great job getting proof against Kitchen and King. It's too bad King is dead. My Boss wanted his ass on a platter."

"The CIA didn't kill him?" Surprised, Booth stared at his friend. "I figured you guys were cleaning up."

"No, we didn't kill him." Danny was very irritated. "As far as I know it was engine failure, but what do I know? . . . King was a mercenary. He was responsible for a lot of deaths in Eastern Europe and in the Middle East. He even managed to get a few of our soldiers murdered, the bastard . . . If someone did kill him, they managed to make it look like an accident, but we had nothing to do with that. I'm telling the truth."

Not sure if he believed his friend, Booth shrugged his shoulders. "You never did have anyone looking into Gale's murder, did you? There were too many clues pointing towards his being assassinated. Any good investigator would have found that out right at the beginning . . . What was the deal? String me along, push my buttons until I decided to take over the case? Why didn't you just ask me to take over the case as soon as your man died? Why all the bullshit?"

Danny knew that this moment was coming. Booth was sharp and he had told his supervisor that the agent might figure out that he had been used. "We needed the best working on Gale's case, but we weren't sure who we could trust. A traitor in Homeland Security. A former FBI Agent connected to the traitor Kirby. When we saw who had been assigned to Gale's case by the Metro police, we started to worry and we had a right to be worried. The detective is an incompetent piece of shit and then we found out he was related to Kitchen and we knew that Gale's murder was going to be covered up. The CIA needed someone we could trust to work the case and that was you, but there was no guarantee that we could get the FBI to agree to take the case. Congressman Abbot was friendly with the Director of the FBI and we weren't sure if we could trust Darouse. We thought if we could get you interested in the case, you might find a way to work the case and maybe Gale would get justice and Kitchen would go down for treason . . . The CIA's hands are tied when it comes to working in the States. We're at the mercy of other agencies . . . I told you about Gale's case early on, but you didn't seem interested. I hoped I could aim you towards the case anyway . . . When I heard about the attempted kidnapping of Parker, I didn't know what was going on. We were afraid it had something to do with Gale's case. I told you that someone I can rely on told me that Kitchen was collecting names and your name was on the list. I didn't know what he was up to and it scared the shit out of me and the man I work for. That was why I had Tom watching over your boy until we found out that kidnapping attempt had to do with a case your ex was working on . . . We really wanted you to look into Gale's murder, but not if it meant your son was going to be targeted."

Booth wasn't sure if Danny was being up front with him, but the man did have someone look after Parker and he was grateful. "Did you have something to with Max handing over the last four pages of Harper's notebook and the tape?"

Deciding that he better be as honest as he could be, Danny nodded his head. "Sort of. My Boss knew about the missing pages and he knew that it was possible Max had them. No one cared because Kirby was dead and the agents that had worked with him were either dead or arrested and convicted . . . Look, your name was on Kitchen's list and we were worried about it. You, Jacob Brodsky, William Preston, a few of our finest and brightest in law enforcement. Former military snipers . . . You have no idea how much that list scared us. We didn't know if this was a recruitment list or a death wish list, so we had to be careful not to spook Kitchen and whoever else he worked with. My Boss decided to force Max to hand over the pages and the tape. We forwarded it to Ms. Julian. The information led the Attorney General right to Bud Abbot and that was one less traitor we had to worry about. We knew that if we got Max involved in the case, it might worry Dr. Brennan and therefore you . . . Abbot went down for his association with Kirby and he was connected to Kitchen too. I knew you wouldn't be able to ignore that . . . You found a way to take over Gale's case and I for one was grateful. I knew we could trust you. I knew that you're loyal to your country and you'd make sure that Kitchen went down for what he did even if he did save your life in Iraq . . . Yes, I used you, but I needed you and Dr. Brennan working this case. It was bigger than all of us. It still is. We still don't know who was blackmailing Kitchen, but I hope you and your people keep your ears to the ground. I know my people will. If Robert Hanssen and Wayne Kitchen were part of some underground organization, we need to know who and what they are."

Moving over to where Danny was standing, Booth lashed out and used his fist to hit his friend in the eye.

Not really surprised, Danny fell back against the tree holding his hand over his left eye. "Feel better?"

A little smirk on his face, Booth nodded his head. "I do, thanks."

His left eye watering, Danny knew that he was going to have one hell of a black eye. "Good . . . you watch your back. Whoever Kitchen was working for is interested in you. Now I have to go and you have a funeral to attend."

After his friend was out of sight, Booth rubbed his hand. "Shit, I promised Bones I would't hit him . . . oh well."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	106. Chapter 106

(The Bikini in the Soup)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The last few months had been crazy as far as Booth was concerned and solving a murder on Valentine's Day just seemed more of the same. He had hoped to have a romantic dinner with his Bones that evening, but everyone seemed to be in a rush to solve the murder they had been assigned to in one day and no one seemed to be interested in what he thought about it.

While they investigated the death of the wedding planner, he managed to find time to have flowers sent to Brennan at her office not that she would be there to see them when they arrived. He knew she would have to go back to her office sooner or later and when she did she would see them then, so he wasn't too worried about that. He also had a present for her, but he wanted to wait until that evening when they were home and alone.

As they worked the case, Booth realized that the tension in those he worked with seemed to have eased somewhat. The death of William King and the arrest of Wayne Kitchen seemed to have put everyone in a more relaxed mood. Even though they knew that there was someone else out there that had manipulated Kitchen and King, no one seemed to be worried about that, at least for the moment. They were at a dead end with that part of the Storm investigation and they would be until something else came along to point them in another direction.

In the meantime, everyone seemed determined to solve their case by 6:45 that evening with the intention of celebrating Valentine's Day afterward. Cam was the main instigator and it amused Booth that she was so determined to enjoy the evening with her boyfriend and she wasn't going to let a murder get in her way. His friend was a workaholic, but for at least that day, she wanted to be like most normal people and get off of work at a reasonable time. Well, since that was to his advantage, he worked on the case as diligently as he could.

Brennan had never cared for Valentine's Day. In the past, she had accepted gifts from Booth on that unofficial holiday, but she felt like she was just humoring her boyfriend. He was a romantic and she didn't want to spoil his bid to have a romantic evening on a day he considered special.

This year was different. She had been in a relationship with Booth for almost five years and she was pregnant. They were going to have a baby and she was so happy. Artificial holiday or not, she wanted to show Booth how much she loved and appreciated him. After examining the body in the tanning bed, she had found time to call an antique store she did business with and arranged for the present she had bought for Booth to be delivered to the Hoover. She and Angela had spent several lunch breaks in the last few weeks searching for a present for Booth and she had found the appropriate gift the week before. She had planned to have it delivered to him on the anniversary for their becoming a couple, but after talking to the owner, Ms. Kline had agreed to deliver it to Booth on Valentine's Day. Eager to see what he thought of the present, Brennan had followed Booth back to his office once their suspect had been booked and the investigation was complete.

Stepping into his office, Booth noticed a gift wrapped box sitting on the edge of his desk. "What's this?" He glanced back at Brennan with suspicion as she moved into the room.

A secretive smile on her face, Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps you should open it and find out."

The smile on his lover's face made his heart begin to race. Booth knew she wasn't one to normally send presents to anyone unless it was their birthday and if she was giving him a present on Valentine's Day then the present was probably very special. Tearing the paper from the box, he pulled the lid off and peered inside the box. "No." He turned and gave his partner a goofy grin. "Really? No way." He pulled out the Bakelite phone and stared at the dial on the face of the phone. 'I've been looking for one of these . . . where'd you find this?"

Moving closer to Booth, she placed her index finger in the dial, moved it to the zero and released the dial. The click click click it made as the dial returned to its original position was a satisfying sound. "It works too. It isn't just for decoration."

Weighing it in his hand, Booth appreciated the heaviness of the phone. "Now this is a real phone." Placing it on his desk, he pulled Brennan into his arms and kissed her. Their kiss was quite passionate and left them both breathless and wanting more.

Pleased that her present had been a success, she moved over to his desk and placed the phone back in the box. "I knew you wanted one of these and have been looking for one for quite a while. Angela and I found this one at an antique shop on Georgia Avenue. They had one red one and this black one. I knew you wanted the traditional black Bakelite phone, so it wasn't hard to choose which one to buy."

"Well, thank you. I have a present for you too, but it's at home." Booth smiled. "It's been under the bed in the downstairs guest bedroom for about two months. That's why I've been volunteering to vacuum the basement. I didn't want you to find it."

"Won't you tell me what it is?" Brennan didn't care for surprises, but she knew before she asked that Booth would dig his heels in and not tell her."

Slowly shaking his head, Booth picked up the box that held his phone and pointed at the doorway. "Nope, you have to wait until we get home first."

With little choice in the matter, Brennan walked toward the office doorway. "I'm patient . . . I can wait."

"That's good, because you have to." Carrying his phone under his arm, Booth chuckled as Brennan threw him a look of displeasure. "Play the game, Bones. Just play the game."

As she moved down the hallway in front of Booth, Brennan heard her phone ring. Removing it from her purse, she answered it. "Brennan."

 _Dr. Brennan, I was given your phone number by The American University. I'm a reporter for the New York Times. I'm doing a story on the aftermath of the Dirty War in Argentina. I've been told that you were involved in identifying some of the missing and I was wondering if I could do an interview with you._

"No thank you. Check with Dr. Nora Cromwell at George Mason University." Moving closer to the elevator, Brennan frowned at Booth. "She managed our work site and was the one to whom the government of Argentina asked to help with the identifications. I was merely an associate."

 _But I talked to her and she told me to interview you since you were responsible for the biggest portion of the identifications. She said she was merely the manager._

Snorting, Brennan shook her head. "Dr. Cromwell doesn't like reporters, so she is trying to avoid you. If she won't talk to you then check with Dr. Jason Price also at George Mason University. He worked with me and Dr. Cromwell identifying bodies."

 _But why won't you give me the interview? I'm in town and I promise I won't take up too much of your time. My name is Hannah Burley. I can meet you wherever you'd like to meet whenever it is convenient for you._

Frustrated, Brennan glanced at Booth and pointed at the elevator button. "I am very busy Ms. Burley. Please check with Dr. Price." Ending the call, she placed the phone back into her purse. "I don't mind doing interviews for my books and for reputable scientific magazines, but I refuse to give interviews to newspaper reporters. They never seem to stick to their original requests. They try to ask personal questions about me and the people I work with. If I protest they just ignore me and continue to ask inappropriate questions. I would rather avoid that bit of unpleasantness if I can help it."

"I know what you mean." Booth pressed the down button on the elevator. "I have to give interviews when we're working on cases as you know, but I'm not crazy about it. We need the press, but they usually want more than I can give at the time and that just makes them belligerent."

The elevator door opened and they entered the car. "I have ordered dinner from Paragon Thai Restaurant. It should be ready for us to pick up by the time we get there."

"Sounds great." Booth stared at Brennan as the car moved downwards. "It's kind of weird that we solved a case in one day. I bet that won't happen again anytime soon."

"No probably not. Cam hovered over everyone at the Lab and we were lucky when Angela found the will on Wendy Bovitz's computer. Plus, her husband was no match for my acting skills."

Amused, Booth reached out and held the elevator door open when the doors slid aside. Once Brennan was in the hallway, Booth left the car. "Yeah, you smoked him when you compared him to Heathcliff." Booth laughed. He hadn't understood what Brennan was talking about at the time, but Greg Bovitz had opened his mouth and implicated himself in the murder of his wife and that was all Booth needed. The idiot.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

While Brennan waited in the living room, Booth walked down the stairs to the guest bedroom. Squatting beside the bed, he realized he'd have to get on his knees to retrieve the present. Once the package was in his hand, he groaned as he stood up. His hand on his lower back, Booth rubbed it and hoped he wasn't going to have a problem. _Damn it. Don't you dare give me any trouble you piece of shit._ Once he was back upstairs he carried the box over to his girlfriend and handed it to her. "I saw this and thought you might like it. Happy Valentine's Day."

Eager to see what Booth was giving her, Brennan placed the box on the coffee table, removed the wrapping paper and opened it. Inside she found a light gray ribbed knit wrap sweater. "It's beautiful Booth"

Pleased that she liked it, Booth helped her put it on. "It can go with a dress or blouse and slacks . . . It's looks nice on you, I knew it would."

Moving so that she faced Booth, she placed her hands flat on his chest, leaned forward and kissed him. This time their passionate kiss turned into something much more and they let it.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	107. Chapter 107

(The Blackout in the Blizzard)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Sitting in her office, working on some new software that might help enhance her Angelatron, Angela was surprised when her computer screen grew dark, came back on with a light yellow color and a few words in black that appeared on her screen: _Hey Pookie!_

"Not you again." Angela responded. _Quit calling me that. That is not my name._

 _You really need to do something about your firewalls. If I can break in then so could someone else. You're better than this._

Her cheeks scarlet in color, Angela huffed. _I'm cautiousness enough to use this computer to just write code on and that code will be transferred to a stand alone computer. This computer isn't attached to anything important. I isolated this computer from the Jeffersonian servers. This computer is using my special server, so I'm not as careless as you think I am._

 _Well good for you. You're learning and I approve. Just make sure you don't transfer malware to another computer from this one._

His or her message seemed a little condescending to her. _What do you want?_

 _I'd like the world to be a little less scary, but it doesn't seem like I'm going to get my wish anytime soon._

 _You did help me and my friends shut down Kitchen and King. Gale Storm got justice and that might have taken longer if you hadn't sent me a copy of the letter._ Angela had set up a few traps on her computer and she hoped that would allow her to eventually be able to track down whoever this was. The more he talked to her, the more confident she felt that she would find out who her hacker was.

 _I'm retired. I have a lot of time on my hands. If I was younger, I'd probably try to ask you out, but I know you have a boyfriend. A rich one at that._

Hoping to keep him online for a bit longer, Angela continued to respond. _How did you find out about the letter to Wayne Kitchen? Does the proof that Felicia Evans had on Wayne Kitchen still exist? Do you know if Gale Storm had a copy? Is that what got him killed?_

 _My my a lot of questions, but unfortunately I can't give you the answers. I'm still working on tracking down whoever wrote the letter to Kitchen. If I find anything I'll pass it along, Pookie._

 _Stop that! My name is Angela._ She was getting angry, very angry.

 _I've been watching you try to track me down for the last few minutes. You're good, but not good enough. Pax Pookie._

The connection was broken and once she checked her programs, she found out that her guest had covered his tracks quite well. Frustrated, Angela crossed her arms against her breasts and stewed over what had happened. It seemed ridiculous that there was someone out there that knew her real name, but she didn't know who he or she was. She needed to up her game. She was good at what she did. She just needed to find a way to track down her tormenter. "Yeah, that's all."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Booth, Brennan and Sweets pushed the baseball stadium seats into the garage. Once the door was pulled down, they hustled back to the SUV in the swirling snow and once everyone was seated Booth pulled back out into the street. The snow was falling faster and thicker and Booth was worried that driving back to the Lab was a mistake. "Look, why not stay home? Sweets can sleep in the guest bedroom overnight." Before he could say anything further both his and Brennan's phone rang. Pulling over to the side of the road, Booth answered his phone while Brennan did the same. "A case? We're in the middle of a blizzard! . . . Fine . . . We'll be at the Lab in a while. Were just outside our house . . . Yeah."

Brennan's conversation had replicated Booth's. "It would appear that a body has been found and she was suffering from Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever when she died. Chances are the killer was exposed. I need to get back to the Lab as soon as possible."

"Got it Bones." Pulling back onto the street, Booth found the snow to be falling at a brisk rate. "I just hope I can get us there . . . Sweets, once we get to the Lab, you'll have to stay with us. I can't drive you to the Hoover. I shouldn't be driving right now, but this case looks pretty serious."

Since he didn't really have anywhere else to be, Sweets shrugged his shoulders. "That's fine. Maybe I can help."

"I doubt it." Brennan was certain that what they really needed was an infectious disease specialist not a man with a useless degree in a soft science.

Used to Brennan's disdain for his profession, Sweets let it go.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The blackout had been unexpected and caused a lot of drivers on the road a lot of anxiety. Traffic lights not working, street lights out, the snow swirling and building up on the streets and sidewalks caused most people to slow down to a crawl. Using caution, Booth crept into the Jeffersonian parking lot and was relieved when he was parked next to the stair well. The parking space was reserved for one of the board members, but Booth doubted the man would show up anytime soon. "Bones grab the flashlight in the glove compartment and I'll use the pen light I carry in my jacket pocket. Sweets, follow me. The emergency lights aren't providing enough light. Once we get to the Lab, I'm not sure how we'll get in."

"There's a manual override Booth." Opening the stairwell door, Brennan proceeded up the stairs. "I have the code." Once they were all in the Lab, Brennan went in to the autopsy room to see if she could help Cam. Booth walked down to Brennan's office with Sweets in tow. "I have to make a few phone calls and see if there's anything going on over at the Hoover that I need to know about. Then we can check with Bones and Cam and see if they need help tracking down the identity of the victim."

"I don't know what they can do without power." Sweets sat on the couch with his hands in his jacket pockets. "I think you're expecting a little too much under the circumstances."

Annoyed, Booth pointed at the doorway. "Listen Eeyore, go find Hodgins or Angela and see if they need help. I'll work with Cam and Bones when I'm done here."

"I'm just being realistic, but okay, I don't want to look at the body anyway." Sweets left the office and in the dim light in the hallway made his way to Angela's office. It was occupied by a chilled computer specialist. "Booth wants to know if you need my help." He hated that he could see puffs of smoky air when he talked. "Why don't you have a generator running?"

Moving her scarf away from her mouth, Angela answered the younger man. "Hodgins and Wendell looked at it. They think there's a burned out relay or something like that. They can't fix it. We'll just have to make do with the battery powered lights in the hallways and the offices. We have candles, lanterns and flashlights. Our emergency closet even has blankets if we need them. Cam is a very good supervisor. She upgraded the closet when she took over the Lab. We have a few cases of water and there are a few boxes of granola bars if you get hungry, plus an extensive first aid kit."

"Wow, she is good." Sweets was impressed. Sitting on the chair next to Angela's desk, Sweets tried to figure out what Angela was doing.

"I have a battery pack and I was trying to see if it would recharge the victim's phone, but it won't. Not the right kind of charger and power slot. I wish the phone companies would get together and make the chargers all the same. The variations are ridiculous. Once this is over, I plan to buy a variety of chargers and keep them in my office just in case this happens again."

"Can I help?" Sweets wasn't sure what he was supposed to do to be of use.

"Not really. Why don't you go and see if Hodgins and Wendell need help." Angela glared at the phone in her hand and tried to think of a way to charge the phone.

Curious, Sweets remained seated. "Angela, you and Hodgins almost got married and then it was called off because you were already married. You had to get a divorce and somehow you managed to get it, but you and Jack broke up. Now you two are dating again."

"Is there a question in there somewhere, because I didn't hear one?" Angela was a little annoyed. She wasn't sure where Sweets was going with his line of inquiry.

His curiosity causing him throw caution to the wind, Sweets asked his question. "Are you two ever going to get married?"

"Listen Junior that is none of your business." Angela placed the victim's phone down on her desk. "What Jack and I decide to do will be our decision and we don't want any outside help."

Holding up his hands, Sweets tried to placate the artist. "Okay, just asking. You two have been through a lot lately along with Booth, Brennan and Cam. The pressure you were under while you were trying to find out what was going on with Wayne Kitchen must had been enormous . . . If you need someone to talk to me, my office is always open."

"Thank you, but I'm fine." Angela had been frightened during their last adventure, but now that King was dead and Kitchen was in prison she felt calmer. "We know that someone was manipulating Kitchen and probably King, but right now we're at a dead end. Booth and Danny think we're safe enough. At least for now. They think that whoever was pulling the strings is going to lay low for a while. They probably don't want any more attention at the moment. Especially when Kitchen goes on trial."

"That makes sense." Sweets moved over to the doorway. "I'll go see if Hodgins needs help."

Once the psychiatrist was gone, Angela picked up the victims phone and studied the power slot. She needed to charge the phone to see what calls were made on it. Feeling a little guilty, she decided to check everyone's desk in the Lab. Maybe an employee had a similar phone and had a charger at work.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth sat in the autopsy room and worried about what was going on just a few feet away. "Are you sure we can't get anything from the body . . . Crimean-Congo hemorrhoid fever sounds like some nasty shit." He was nervous about Brennan's safety since she was pregnant and he was afraid that she might get whatever this disease was by being near the victim. "Maybe we should all be wearing masks."

"She didn't die of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Booth. She was strangled." Brennan knew why Booth was being cautious, but she knew it was unnecessary.

Just to make sure Booth understood, Cam interrupted. "Testing revealed viral antibodies, but no active virions which means we are not being exposed to the disease . . . Of course the victim was strangled face to face which means when the victim was strangled she could have coughed aerosolized blood into the killer's face infecting him."

"Damn that's bad." Booth stood up. "We need to know who this is, so I can track down the killer . . ."

Cam interrupted him. "Which we are working on, Booth."

"If that guy is contagious . . ." Booth didn't finish the sentence. They all knew what that meant.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Through the day and late into the afternoon, everyone did what they could to find out who the victim was and then the possible murderer. Booth was amazed at how his team kept coming up with ways to get around the fact that they didn't have electricity to use their equipment. He knew that he was lucky to work with such brilliant people, but he also felt like a fifth wheel. He needed to find the murderer before the scum infected other people, but he had to wait for someone to point him the way. He usually had a lot more input in the case, but they were all working under extreme circumstances and he had to rely on Brennan and the rest of the squints to help him do his job. Once they had learned that their victim had shrapnel wounds, he had come up with the idea of looking in the news for an American that had been blown up in Chechnya four years prior to dying and that had pointed them to their victim. After they had her name it all seemed to fall in place fairly quickly. They had the name of the murderer and where he might be because Angela and Wendell had found a way to get the victim's phone powered up long enough so that she would get a list of incoming and outgoing phone calls.

Once the murderer was under arrest, Booth had to take a side trip to the hospital to get checked out. He was exposed to the virus while arresting Tariq Grazdani for the murder of Anne Marie Weston and he was afraid his exposure could harm Brennan and the baby.

A long day nearing its end, they made their way back home and cooked a quick dinner. They were tired and traveling around in snow chocked streets hadn't helped the situation. Their dinner over, they retired to their bedroom and decided to turn in early.

Lying next to each other, Booth stared at the ceiling and thought about the crazy month they'd had so far. "You know I'll do my best to protect you and the baby. You can count on me."

Puzzled, Brennan rolled on her side and placed her hand on his arm. "You don't need to protect me, Booth. I can protect myself . . . is this about the virus or just me being pregnant? Nothing has changed. I'm your partner. I can do my work and will do it for as long as possible."

He knew that he had struck a nerve, but he was worried. "It's not just the baby, Bones. It's the fact that we still have someone out there that may be interested in me. I don't know why and Kitchen won't say. It's the fact that we ended up exposing a very powerful man who was killed in a plane crash. Was he murdered, I don't know? Will the guy manipulating Kitchen come after us, again I don't know? Then we had a case today that exposed us to a dangerous disease. It's a lot of stuff to take in, but I promise that I have your back and I know I can count on you protecting my back too . . . I love you, Bones. I don't want anything to happen to you or our baby. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you . . . I just don't know."

She knew he was being honest and sincere and that made her love him more. Snuggling next to him, his arm around her, Brennan tried to get Booth to relax. "We can't worry about whoever was manipulating Kitchen. He will either ignore us or make himself known sooner or later. We're aware that he's out there and we are smart enough to be prepared. Everyone at the Lab is prepared . . . we can't live our lives looking over our shoulders, you know that. That isn't a life at all . . . I love you and though we have no control over what will happen in the future I feel that together we will be alright. Like you say, we will protect each other . . . Nothing is going to happen to me, Booth. I am going to have our baby and our lives will go on. Our family is getting bigger . . . we really need to think about a bedroom for the baby. We can turn my office into the baby's room and I can move my desk downstairs into the spare bedroom. The room is spacious enough or we can turn a corner of the living room into my office . . . that might be the better idea. That way you can watch your games in the man cave when I'm writing."

"Or we can move the desk and your bookshelves into the guest bedroom down the hall." Booth sighed. "Pops doesn't visit as much as I thought he would. We can keep the bed, the dresser and the easy chair in the room, but convert the rest of the room into your office. It'll be quieter in that room when you want to write. When Pops is here, you can use Parker's bedroom. I want you to have the quiet you need to write in."

Her man sounded calmer, less unhappy and that had been her goal. "We'll talk about it later, Booth. We have time. We also need to decide what we need to do to create a positive atmosphere for our baby. I think a gender neutral color like light yellow or pale green would be the best color for the walls in his or her bedroom . . . You're tired, I think you need to sleep."

"Yeah, you too." Booth closed his eyes and felt less restless after talking to Brennan. She had a way of calming him down that he had never really understood. He really didn't know what would happen to him if anything ever happened to her, but he would make sure that she was safe and he wouldn't have to find out.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	108. Chapter 108

(The Hole in the Heart)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Horrified, she watched her intern bleed out on the platform while her partner pressed his hands firmly against Vincent's chest in a vain effort to at least slow the bleeding. She had known that Vincent's blood was pumping out too fast and that he would exsanguinate before help could arrive, but she was desperate to be wrong. Just this once she wanted to be wrong.

But she wasn't.

Sad that a young man had died, Booth stood up and stared at the lifeless body on the floor. He had thought the English squint had been an odd one, but he was harmless enough and Brennan had liked him. "I'm sorry, Bones."

Her eyes on her intern, Brennan felt tears drip down her cheeks. "You did what you could. You were very brave. You did everything you could." More tears fell as she continued to stare at the body of her intern. "His aorta must have been severed. Nothing you did would have saved him."

"Hey Bones." Booth moved closer to his girlfriend and placed his right hand on her sleeve. The blood on his hand transferred to the sleeve of her lab coat, but he needed Brennan's attention. Afraid she was in shock, Booth knew that he needed to intervene. "Hey, this isn't your fault . . . okay? This is Brodsky's doing."

Well aware that Brodsky had meant to kill Booth, Brennan turned and moved her arms around his chest. "His target was the user of the phone. He thought that Vincent was you." The thought of her lover lying dead on the platform instead of Vincent was frightening. While she liked her intern and appreciated his zest for life, the thought of losing Booth was almost too much for her handle at the moment.

Booth had considered Jacob Brodsky a friend in the past, but the assassin had killed a young woman as collateral damage and now Vincent. The rest of his victims had been the scum of society and Booth wouldn't shed a tear for them, but Brodsky needed to be stopped. "If I hadn't handed him the phone, he'd probably be alive now." A sudden thought hit him and it made him feel nauseous. "Or I could have handed you the phone and you'd be dead . . . I'm sorry. I should have killed Brodsky when I had the chance."

"Don't Booth." Brennan pressed her face against his shoulder. She knew that her lover was probably blaming himself for Vincent's death, but he hadn't done anything wrong as far as she was concerned. No one had expected Brodsky to shoot through the skylight. "Brodsky planned your murder and he didn't succeed. He did kill Vincent and you will make him pay for that."

He held her against his body and stared at the shattered panel in the roof. "You bet I will . . . you can count on it."

Running steps told them that someone else was now on the platform with them. Turning his gaze towards the staircase. Booth witnessed Cam place her hand over her mouth and shake her head in disbelief. Vincent's death was going to affect a lot of people and Booth knew that they were all going to be fired up to bring down Brodsky. Jacob had made a big mistake coming after him and he'd pay for that.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

With Jacob in the hospital and being guarded by an FBI Agent and Vincent's body on the way to England, Booth felt that Brennan needed a chance to grieve. He knew that she'd seen a lot of herself in Vincent and Booth knew that his partner was grieving about what might have been. "Bones, would you like to go to the funeral? I can try to buy some plane tickets and we can go if you want to."

She thought about it and decided not to go. "I think it would be better for Vincent's family if I wasn't there. Vincent was working for me at the time of his death. I never wanted the dangers I face in the field to affect the people I work with in the Lab, but clearly, I have failed and now Vincent is dead. I'd rather give his family time to grieve . . . I think I will set up a scholarship in Vincent's name. He had a promising future in forensic anthropology and it makes me sad that he won't be able to fulfill that promise . . . Like Zach, another bright future destroyed. They both had the potential to be the best in our field, but that potential was obliterated."

It was times like this that Booth was reminded why his mate was a successful author. To many people Brennan appeared to be cold and distant, but the people that knew her knew that wasn't true. She guarded her emotions and felt awkward in most social settings, but when she was among friends she felt comfortable enough to lower her guards. It was times like this that allowed him to see her kindness, her compassion. He loved her and felt honored that she could express herself in front of him. "The scholarship sounds great Bones, but I don't think you should blame what happened to him or to Zach on yourself. You probably don't want to hear this, but Zach was naïve. He thought that having a high IQ made him superior to everyone around him, but he didn't have a lot of common sense and all he did was isolate himself from everyone. He found someone with a higher IQ than he had and he thought that meant that he had found an authority on everything. That made him susceptible to a bunch of malarkey. All he had to do was come to you and talk to you about what Gormogon was telling him and you'd have straightened him out, but he didn't do that and that's all on him. As for Vincent, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Brodsky killed him because he thought your intern was me. You had nothing to do with that."

"I know." She knew that Booth was telling her was the truth, but she still felt that the fact that they were working for her meant that she was partially responsible for the loss of their brilliance. "Cam is going to the funeral. Hodgins and Angela are flying in his private jet to England and Cam is going with them . . . I will be in charge of the Lab until Cam returns."

Booth walked into the kitchen, retrieved a bottle of beer and a bottle of water from the fridge and carried them into the living room. Sitting down on the couch, he handed her the water and opened the beer. "You know, I've been in the same position you're in right now. I had a spotter working with me that was killed. For years I blamed myself, but his death was really caused by his own carelessness. I kept telling him to keep his head down, but he wouldn't listen. He only needed to raise his head far enough to see what I was aiming at, but he insisted he needed a better view. He was shot in the head . . . his name was Teddy Parker."

"Parker? Did you name your son after him?" She had never heard Booth talk about Teddy Parker and found this information to be quite surprising.

"Yeah . . . Like I said, I blamed his death on me for a long time, but . . . But a while back, I realized that Teddy was responsible for his own death just like Zach's behavior caused his own downfall." Booth took a sip of his beer. "Vincent should have been safe in the Lab, but Brodsky found a way to make a shot through the skylight and that means that Vincent's death is not your responsibility and it's not mine. Brodsky killed Vincent. It's that simple. We have enough crap in our lives . . . we don't need to take responsibility for things we didn't cause."

She placed her bottle of water on the coffee table, leaned back against the couch and stared at the fireplace. "Vincent was eccentric, but I will miss him. He loved knowledge for the sake of learning. The facts he learned didn't need to have relevance they just needed to be interesting. I found his tangents to be irritating sometimes, but it was harmless . . . I will miss his enthusiasm in the Lab. Some of my interns are very serious and rarely show enthusiasm like Vincent did . . . I need to step back and not become attached to my interns in the future. It can be quite painful when I lose them."

Worried, Booth placed his arm around Brennan's shoulders and leaned against her. "Hey, you don't have to do that, Bones. Those interns of yours fight to get where they're at. You can only have a few interns each year and they know that. They want to be where they are and that is in the Lab with you. Most of them don't care about risks and dangers. They want to be forensic anthropologists and you know that some of them will face dangers in the future out in the field. Those that can't handle that kind of risk will work in Labs and coroner's offices or where ever else they can get jobs. You don't need to keep your distance just because something might happen to one of them. Hell, life is a risk. One of them could get in his car and get killed in a car wreck or slip in the shower and break her neck. There are no guarantees in life that things will work out, but you can't cut yourself off from the human race just because someone could die . . . Just treat them like you always treat your students. You know you love teaching and you're always telling me a story about something they did that was stupid or funny. You love that stuff. Just be you. It will be okay."

"You're a good man, Booth." Brennan appreciated that her boyfriend knew the right things to say to her to make her feel better. "I will consider what you've said . . . I do love teaching . . . I wish I could have a beer, but I know I shouldn't . . . We have had a very stressful year so far, Booth. It is my hope that the rest of the year is much calmer."

"Me too." Booth sipped some of his beer and sighed. "Of course, I won't count on it."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	109. Chapter 109

(The Change in the Game)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

"You know Max, you're getting too old for this shit." Pete couldn't believe Max had actually broken his hip while having sex with a younger woman. "At least date women your own age."

"That doesn't sound like a lot of fun." Max was sure Rosamund had broken up with him anyway. She'd been injured in their little late night escapade, but thankfully not as seriously has he had. "I'll only have to be in the wheelchair for a little while. I have some therapy to take care of and I'll be good as new."

The traffic was light for a change and Pete was thankful for that. Normally traffic in the District was a nightmare." Did you tell Tempe about your little accident?"

"No, of course not." The last thing he wanted to do was explain how he'd broken his hip to his daughter. "It's none of her business."

Shrugging his shoulders, Pete took a right at the next light. "Good luck with that. She's a bones expert. She'll take one look at you and know you broke something."

"Ha! . . . Yeah." His daughter was a genius there was no getting around that fact.

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"Dad what happened?" She'd walked into the Diner expecting to find her father and partner waiting for her, but not to find her father incapacitated.

"Oh, it's nothing." Max had wanted to avoid seeing his daughter in person until after his last therapy session was complete and he was on his feet, but Booth had called to let him know that a bowler on his team had been murdered and that meant they needed his help.

"Dad you don't end up in a wheelchair over nothing." Exasperated, Brennan glared at her father. Why couldn't he ever just tell her the truth instead of lying. It was ridiculous.

His cheeks stained a light red, Max leaned back against his chair. "Okay, I had a very embarrassing physical event."

Of course, Booth thought it was funny. "What'd you do, fall off a bike?"

"Bed and Rosamund was injured in the same physical event." The last thing he wanted to do was talk about having sex with his girlfriend in front of his daughter. "We were talking about the murder case, weren't we?"

As their conversation was steered back towards Jeff Fowler and the Thunderballs, Max kept glancing at his daughter. Something was odd, but he couldn't figure out why. She looked healthy, but something was off and he wondered if she and her boyfriend were having problems. They seemed excessively polite. "Are you two fighting?"

"What? No of course not." Brennan was puzzled. Why her father thought that she and Booth were fighting was beyond her.

Confused, Booth glanced at Brennan and shrugged his shoulders. "Look Max, we need to talk to the bowlers on your team and the other bowlers too. We'll go undercover and I'll bowl for you on your team. It's not like you can bowl anyway."

"Sure." Max continued to stare at his daughter and it finally dawned on him what he might be seeing. "You're pregnant."

"What? No." Brennan was stunned. Her stomach only had a slight bump in it and her shirt and overcoat was hiding that. "How can you tell?"

"Bones!" Booth rolled his eyes. So much for keeping it a secret until they were ready to say something.

Annoyed, Brennan glanced at Booth then back at her father. "Explain how you know that I am pregnant."

"I'm a father, twice . . . You have the same glow your mother had when she was pregnant. Plus, you have a tell. Every time you look at Booth you put your hand on your stomach." Max leaned forward and stared at Booth. "When are you two getting married?" He wasn't sure he wanted his grandchild to be born out of wedlock. He'd been born to a single mother and his childhood had been pretty rough.

Before Booth could speak, Brennan spoke up for both of them. "We aren't getting married. I am not a piece of property and I will not be given to anyone. Marriage is an antiquated ritual that has no function in a modern society."

His eyes on his cup of coffee, Booth refused to say anything. He wanted to get married, but he would never force Brennan to do anything she didn't want to do. She was a strong independent woman and he was lucky that she was willing to live with him. He hoped that she might change her mind someday about marriage, but if she didn't then he was willing to live with her under her terms.

"I just think that's a mistake, but what do I know?" Max knew his daughter had some pretty strong beliefs about love and marriage and he knew that abandoning her when she was a kid was probably part of it. He knew that she still didn't trust him and that hurt him. Still, he knew that she was going to run her life her way and she didn't give a damn what he thought. "I have to go, my friend Pete is waiting for me to take me to my doctor's appointment. If you want to bowl with the team meet me at the bowling alley tonight at six."

Once he was gone, Brennan placed her hand on Booth's arm and leaned closer. "I'm sorry. He surprised me. I should have just denied that I was pregnant."

Turning in his seat, Booth smiled at his girlfriend. "Don't worry about it. We need to think about telling people soon. You're in your second trimester and you do have a little baby bump. A sweet little bump as far as I'm concerned. "

"That's just male pride, Booth." Brennan laughed. "You're very proud of yourself at this moment."

"Damn straight." Booth leaned over and kissed her. "I'm going to be a Daddy again. I love it and I love you."

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The case had unfolded fairly quickly and once the shoe rental guy at the bowling alley was arrested for Jeff Fowler's murder, Booth and Brennan drove home. Once they were settled in bed for the evening, Booth turned on his side and stared at his girlfriend. "When do want to tell everyone about the baby? I know your Dad won't tell anyone, but he's right you do have a tell and sooner or later Angela is going to notice. She has a nose for stuff like that."

Placing her magazine down on her lap, Brennan sighed. "I was hoping to wait another month . . . I'm afraid that everyone at work will try to treat me differently and nothing has really changed. I'm just pregnant."

"Just pregnant." It still amazed him that she didn't seem to realize that everything was changing. "Sooner or later you're not going to be able to go into the field. You have to know that."

"What? No, my pregnancy will not stop me from working." Brennan was getting exasperated. "Being pregnant doesn't mean that I'm an invalid."

Trying to think quickly, Booth latched on a point she might not have considered. "Okay, remember that time we were at a crime scene and we were shot at. What did we do? We threw our bodies on the ground to keep from being shot. What do you think would happen if you were like seven months pregnant and you had to do that and you landed on your stomach? You and I both know that could kill the baby and you. Crime scenes are not safe no matter how many cops and agents are standing around . . . I'm not saying you have to give up working. I know you can't do that, but I think you'll have to give up going to crime scenes when you're further along."

She thought about it and shook her head. "I will continue to go to crime scenes until at least my third trimester. I can work Booth and this pregnancy will not stop me from doing what I must. I am not an invalid nor am I handicapped."

"I'm not saying you are Bones. I'm just saying you can't protect yourself and the baby when you're late in your pregnancy. I'm using logic here not emotion. Think about it."

"I will." Brennan didn't want to be treated differently and she hated the idea of everyone treating her as if she was fragile. "I suppose we can tell everyone at the Lab tomorrow."

Booth shook his head. "No, let's invite everyone to the Founding Fathers and make the announcement there. The Lab is where you work. This isn't work related, okay?"

"Yes, we can have a social gathering to make our announcement." Brennan dropped her magazine on the floor and moved down the bed so she was facing Booth. "I am sad that Vincent was murdered, but I am grateful that you didn't die. I would hate to raise our baby by myself. You are an excellent father."

Moving a strand of hair to the back of her ear, Booth smiled. "You don't have to, Bones. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. Brodsky is in jail, Taffet is dead, King is dead and Kitchen is in jail. Nothing is going to happen to you or me, okay?"

"Yes." Brennan sighed. "I am counting on you to not die, Booth. You promised me that you would not leave me."

"And I won't, Bones. I'm here and no one is going to keep me away from you."

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The get together didn't quite turn out like Booth or Brennan had expected. Their friends met with them on a Friday night early in the evening. Booth had bought a small chocolate cake and had it waiting on the table when their friends arrived. Brennan had thought the cake was unnecessary, but Booth didn't think it was much of a celebration without cake.

Cam was the first to arrive and once she was seated stared at the cake. "Well what's the celebration? I know it's not anyone's birthday."

Before Brennan could respond, Angela, Hodgins, Sweets and Wendell arrived and she waited for everyone to be seated. "Booth and I have an announcement to make."

Her hand over her mouth, Angela thought she knew what that the announcement was, but didn't want to spoil Brennan's moment.

"I am pregnant." Brennan smiled at her friends. "We don't know the gender of the fetus yet, but I am in my second trimester."

Happy shouts and claps spontaneously erupted and Booth sat watching his co-workers and friends show their appreciation and happiness. "Yeah, we've already started working on the baby's room."

Glad for his friend. Sweets clapped the older man on his shoulder. "This is great, Booth. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Booth was very happy and so proud of Brennan. "It's going to be great having a little Bones running around the house."

"You're not going to call the baby little Bones are you." Hodgins didn't think that sounded like a great nickname for a baby, but he knew that once Booth made up his mind about a nickname it was almost impossible to make him stop using it.

Amused, Booth laughed. "Nah, I'll come up with better nicknames when the baby gets here. We don't know if it's going to be a boy or a girl, so I have time."

"We have an announcement too." Angela grabbed Hodgins hand and nodded her head. Now that their friends were assembled in a congenial place they thought it was time to break the news. "Jack and I are married."

Shocked, Brennan stared at her best friend for a moment, stood up, moved around the table and hugged her. "I am happy for you, Angela. Congratulations."

Booth wasn't happy that Angela had stepped on Brennan's happy news, but it was what it was. "Congratulations. When did this happen?"

"Right after Kitchen was arrested." Jack smiled at his bride. "We'd been dating again and well . . . life is short. Look at what happened to William King. One minute he was on the top and the next minute he was dead in a plane crash and then there was what happened to Vincent . . . We didn't want to wait until it was too late, if you know what I mean. We love each other . . . we hit a few bumps in the road last year, but I think we're stronger for them."

Angela took over the explanation. "We didn't want a wedding because of what happened the first time we tried. Why tempt fate? We figured a simple ceremony by a Justice of the Peace and . . . and we're married."

Cam had noticed how friendly her entomologist and computer nerd were lately, but she was surprised that they were married. She had expected them to want another wedding when they got married, but clearly she had misjudged the situation. "Well congratulations you two. I'm happy for you."

Sweets worried that Jack and Angela had let anxiety and fear prod them into getting married, but it was too late to say anything now. No one would appreciate him throwing water on the celebration. "I'm happy for you . . . so Booth, can we have some cake now?"

Picking up the knife next to the cake, Booth sliced out the first piece of cake and placed it on a paper plate. "It's chocolate. Who doesn't like chocolate, right?"

If anyone didn't care for chocolate cake they didn't say anything.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	110. Chapter 110

(After 'The Change in the Game')

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The past year had been hectic and just a little on the bizarre side and Booth was looking forward to some vacation time. Rebecca had informed Booth that Parker could come to the U.S. the first week in July and could stay until the first week in August. One of Booth's biggest fears had been that Rebecca would not allow Parker to come for a visit.

 _He misses you, Seeley. I think it should be safe enough. There should be no more threats against Parker since I'm in England and no longer taking cases in the States and that crazy case is over that you were working on. He wants to come and I'm going to let him._

"Max plans to babysit Parker while Bones and I are at work. Parker really likes him and I know we can count on Max to keep Parker safe." Booth was relieved that Rebecca wasn't going to use the past year as an excuse to keep his son from him. "Just to let you know, we plan to take a trip somewhere while Parker is with us. Bones and I have been talking about it and we thought we'd drive up to Gettysburg and to Antietam. She's writing an article for some anthropology magazine and she wants to do some research before she writes it."

 _I think Parker might like that . . . I'll email you with specifics about Parker's flight._

"Okay." Booth ended the call.

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A dinner invitation to his daughter's house was a real treat as far as Max was concerned. His daughter and her boyfriend knew how to cook and he enjoyed whatever they served. He wished he could cook as well as they did, but he never quite got the hang of it. His meals were simple and usually involved a crockpot. "Wow, that pasta dish was great." Max wiped his lips with his napkin.

"I'm glad you liked it. My grandmother taught me how to make it when I was a little kid. Pasta Carbonara was one of her favorite dishes." Booth had his grandmother's cookbook and had made every recipe in the book. "She believed that boys should learn how to cook not just girls. Of course, she didn't have any granddaughters, so she didn't have a lot of choice."

"I'm glad to see that you're not in your wheelchair anymore." Brennan sipped some mineral water and placed the glass back on the table afterward. "Booth and I appreciate you volunteering to watch over Parker when we're at work . . . We plan to take a vacation the third week in July. If you'd like to come with us, you may. We're going to visit Gettysburg and Antietam. We don't think we'll be gone longer than a week."

Max appreciated the invitation, but walking through old battlefields didn't sound like fun to him. "Thanks for the invitation, but I think I'll pass. I can't do a lot of walking right now. I'll let you guys have a family vacation with Parker."

"Alright." Brennan was disappointed that her father didn't want to join them, but it was his decision and she accepted it. "It should be very educational. If we have time we might visit Manassas National Battlefield Park. I'm working on an article for 'Anthropology Now' and I'd like to take some pictures of the each of those battlefields."

"Sounds cool, Tempe." Max finished his wine. "I used to love visiting historical sites when I was younger . . . Are you going to sign Parker up for the science program at the Jeffersonian this year?"

Booth placed his fork down on his plate. "We don't know yet. I want to see if Parker is interested. He's ten years old and I want him to have a say about his vacation. If he does, we'll let you know. Since your hip is still recovering, we'd like you to stay in Pops' room while you're here. It has a walk-in bathtub in the attached bathroom and the bed is lower, so it's easier to get in and out of. Pops plans to stay with us for a week while Parker is here. When that happens, you can stay in Parker's bedroom and the boy can sleep on the couch in the living room."

"Wow, that seems like a lot of trouble, but thanks." Max wasn't sure if he could handle the staircase leading down to the man-cave, so he appreciated not having to stay in the guest bedroom. "I'll stay at my place while you're traveling around."

"I'll let you know when we're going to make the trip." Booth finished eating his pasta, stood up and picked up his plate. "I have some cannoli if you'd like dessert."

Amazed, Max leaned back and patted his stomach. "Sounds great, but I'm stuffed . . . Maybe I can take a couple of them home with me."

"You got it." Booth walked into the kitchen and started to clean up. He wanted to give Brennan a chance to visit her father.

"How is therapy going?" Brennan was curious about her father's surgery but wasn't sure he wanted to talk about it. He could be very secretive about the most mundane things.

Pushing the plate to the side, Max leaned on the table. "It's good. I only have two more weeks of therapy . . . how are you doing? Any morning sickness?"

Brennan shook her head. "Not now. I did for a few weeks, but I seem to have moved past that phase of my pregnancy. I found out that eating spicy food was one of the main causes of my bouts of regurgitation. Once I switched to a bland diet it stopped."

"That's good. Your mother was sick for most of her pregnancy with you and with Russ. It worried me, but she'd just call me an old mother hen and laugh it off. Your mother was a real fighter." The thought of his wife made him sad, but he had loved her so much and he liked to talk about her. "When she was pregnant with Russ she carried him all up front. She looked like she'd swallowed a beach ball. When she was pregnant with you she looked like she was fat, no beach ball. Of course, I didn't tell her that. She might have killed me. She had quite a temper when she was pregnant." Max waved his right hand up and down. "She was like a mama bear on the prowl."

Surprised, Brennan glanced at the kitchen doorway then back towards her father. "I find that my temperament seems to be rather short lately . . . I yelled at Booth for leaving his socks on the floor yesterday. He has always done that, but for some reason I found it quite irritating the last time it happened."

Shrugging his shoulders, Max smiled. "It won't hurt for him to pick up his socks . . . Tempe, are you going to get married?" He was hoping that she had changed her mind about marriage.

"No." Brennan leaned over, moved her father's plate under hers, stood up and picked up the plates. "Don't ask me that again. I have already explained to you that I don't believe in marriage. Nothing has happened to change my mind."

Wary, Max nodded his head and watched her enter the kitchen. _Okay, a little touchy._

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That evening, much to Brennan and Booth's surprise, Caroline came over for a visit. "I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop in Cher'."

"Come in, you know you're welcome here anytime." Booth stood aside and let the prosecutor enter the house. "Bones and Max are in the living room. Want something to drink?"

"A beer would be fine." Caroline moved into the living room and greeted the occupants. "I thought I'd come by and give you this." Moving closer to Brennan, she handed the scientist a gift bag. "I heard congratulations are in order."

Puzzled, Brennan took the bag and opened it. "A baby's costume . . . how do you know I'm pregnant? We've only told Hodgins, Angela, Cam and Max."

Not willing to give away her source, Caroline sat down and accepted the bottle of beer from Booth. "I'm not at liberty to say, but you should know by now that something like that cannot be kept a secret forever. Gossip is almost an Olympic sport in the District . . . I'm surprised that your fans haven't found out yet."

Irritated, Brennan placed the onesie back into the bag and nodded her head. "Thank you for the present . . . I was going to make a formal announcement through my agent next month. I suppose I had better do it tomorrow. I hate gossip. It isn't very productive and most of the time, the gossip is wrong."

Amused, Caroline smiled. "Yeah, but we don't have any control over it. It's just easier to ignore it or ride it out."

"Thanks for the present, Caroline." Booth sat down and sipped some of his beer. "Bones plans to work in the field as long as possible."

"Of course, she does." Nothing surprised Caroline when it came to Dr. Temperance Brennan. "I worked until the week before I had my baby. Of course, I wasn't going to crime scenes . . . I think you'd best remember that crime scenes can be dangerous. Working is one thing but placing your baby in harm's way might not be the best thing to do." She looked at Booth and saw the scowl on his face. "I'm just saying that when bullets are flying being eight months pregnant might make the situation a little awkward for everyone." She noticed Booth nod his head and knew that she had best change the topic. They had obviously considered what she was saying. "So, Brodsky is going on trial on July 24th, so if you're still planning to go on vacation, make sure it's before the trial. It may be a long trial since we're going after him for multiple murders plus attacking a Federal Agent and killing a Federal employee."

Surprised, Booth glanced at Brennan. "Thanks for the heads up. I guess we'll go the week before the trial."

Brennan nodded her head. "Yes, thank you for the warning." Brennan pulled the onesie back out of the bag and looked at again. "It's a very nice costume."

Pleased that her gift was appreciated. Caroline nodded her head. "I don't suppose you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

Shaking her head, Brennan returned the clothing back into the bag. "I have an appointment next month. We might find out then."

Silent until then, Max spoke up. "I bet it's a girl." All eyes on him, Max shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, I've been through this twice and I'm telling you it's a girl."

"Since speculation is useless, I will wait until I've had the ultrasound before I talk about gender." Brennan placed her hand on her stomach. "Booth and I don't care what gender the baby is. We will be happy if the child is a boy or a girl."

Booth nodded his head. "As long as the baby is healthy. That's all I'm asking for."

"Amen, Cher'." Caroline nodded her head.

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Not much happened in this chapter. Just moving my story along and setting up a few things.


	111. Chapter 111

(After 'The Change in the Game')

A/N: this chapter is rated T for violence.

Thank you for reviewing my story. Thank you.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

One of Parker's greatest fears had been that he wouldn't be allowed to stay with his father and Brennan during the summer. His mother had told him that his father was involved in a complicated case and he might not have any free time to spend with him. Now that he was back in the States he felt relief.

Once they had arrived from the airport and his things were put away in his bedroom, Booth and Brennan had handed him a gift bag and encouraged him to open it. Excited, he opened the bag and found a framed picture. The picture seemed to be a baby, but he wasn't sure. The image was grainy and black and white and it just looked strange to him. "What's this? I don't know what this is."

Booth took the frame from the boy's hand and sat down on the bed. "This picture is called a sonogram. It's the picture doctors take of a woman's stomach when she's pregnant. It lets you see the baby in the stomach. Do you understand?"

"Not really." Parker sat next to his father and stared at the sonogram. "Is that picture of me when I was in Mom's stomach?"

"No, Parker. That is my baby." Brennan placed her hand over abdomen and smiled at the child. "I'm pregnant."

Stunned, the boy looked at Brennan with an odd expression on his face. After a few moments, he jumped from the bed and raced over to where Brennan was standing and threw his arms around her hips. "You mean I'm going to be a brother?" Parker stared up at Brennan. "I get to have a brother?"

"Or a sister, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet." Booth felt a sense of peace wash over him. He had been afraid that his son might not like the idea of sharing him with a sibling. "Sisters can be fun too."

Releasing Brennan, Parker moved back over to the bed and took the framed sonogram from his father. "I keep asking Mom for a brother or sister, but she says no, that she's not ready. I'm glad Bones is going to have a baby, I really want to be a big brother. I can teach him how to throw a ball and build Legos, play video games and stuff like that."

A quick glance at Brennan, Booth winked at her then placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "It'll be a while before you can do that, but I'm glad you want to be a big brother. I'm really glad."

"Can I pick the baby's name?" Parker stared at the sonogram. "I want the baby to have a cool name."

Wary, Booth glanced once more at his partner. "Tell you what Parker, you write down a list of boy and girl names and we'll consider them. I don't guarantee we'll use the names, but we'll check out your list before we decide."

"That seems fair." Parker hoped they chose one of the names he liked, but if they didn't that was okay too. At least they were going to let him make a list and they were going to read it. "Don't worry, I won't write down some dumb name like snowflake . . . that would be funny, but it would be a stupid name."

Amused, Booth chuckled. "Well, we have unusual names in our family, but I agree, snowflake would be a dumb name."

"I agree." Brennan shook her head. There was no way she would saddle her child with an awkward name like that.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Parker accepted that his father and Brennan had to work, so they couldn't be with them during the day, but at least Max was looking after him and not some bossy person he didn't know. "How come you're living here while I'm here?" The boy was playing a video game, but it was an older game and he wished it was a new game he'd never played before.

"Because I'm your grandfather and I like being around you, Kid. My children are grown up and my son and his wife and kids live in North Carolina. I don't get to see them too often."

"You're not my grandfather." The boy placed his remote down on the table. "Bones isn't my mother."

Picking up the remote, Max restarted the game and tried to play. "Okay, technically I'm your step-grandfather . . . this game seems kind of babyish . . . would you like to go to the store and buy some games for older kids?"

"Oh boy, can we?" Parker hadn't expected that offer. "I have some money my Mom gave me for my vacation."

After he placed the remote down, Max stood up, checked the contents of his wallet and smiled. "That's your vacation money. I'll buy them. I'd like to buy some games we can play together . . . of course, I'm not very good, but I'm a fast learner."

"Cool." The boy shut down the game and stood up. "My friend Clyde has a new game . . . 'Assassin's Creed'."

"Whoa, now." Max was certain buying a game like that would get him killed. Booth wouldn't tolerate violent games, he was sure of that. Not for a ten year old boy. "We can't buy games that are very violent. We'll look and see what they have."

Disappointed, Parker nodded his head. "Mom won't let me have that game either . . . It's not fair because some of my friends have that game and I don't."

"Kid, whoever told you that life is fair lied to you." Moving over to the doorway, Max waited for Parker to leave the house and followed him outside. "Believe me, no one gets everything they want. All they can hope for is that they get what they deserve."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

A body was found in one of the waterways in Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The body had been found floating near one of the waterfalls. Since the park was Federal property, the unidentified body was sent to The Jeffersonian at the request of the FBI since their Lab had a backlog they needed to deal with.

Examining the clothes while Brennan and Cam examined the body, Hodgins found a slit in the back of the shirt as if the victim had been stabbed. The clothes were soaked of course, but he was sure that some of the fibers in the shirt were stained with blood. "I'd say he was attacked from behind. The shirt has some staining which tells me the victim was killed somewhere else and the shirt absorbed a lot of blood before the body was moved and dumped in the river. The water didn't leach all of the blood out of the shirt . . . no wallet on the body. In fact, the FBI says there was nothing in the man's pockets. Whoever killed the victim, took everything he might have had on him. The temperature has been in the 70's in the Willamsport area for the last few weeks, so I'd say the body floated to the surface in about three to seven days after the body was dumped in the water."

Carefully noting underlying bone structure, Brennan checked the victim's teeth and nodded her head. "He appears to be indigenous, between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one. Two of his wisdom teeth have erupted, one is partially erupted and the last one is still inside the mandible."

With Brennan's and Hodgins' help, Cam turned over the body very carefully, so she could access the back of the victim. "The body isn't degloving yet, so I'd say it's closer to three days than seven."

Brennan agreed. "There is clearly a slash in the victim's trapezius muscle. It appears to be the size of a large bladed knife. There are numerous small gashes in the skin."

"He was in the water for a few days." Cam studied the body closely. "His body may have hit rocks on the way into the water and once it was on the surface again the nearby waterfall may have moved him against more rocks and whatever else was in the river with him . . . I think it's safe to say he was murdered."

"I agree." Brennan continued to examine the body, searching for anything unusual to help identify the body. "He has a tattoo on his left shoulder above the knife wound . . . a bird of some kind . . . perhaps a crow or possibly a raven. The skin is wrinkled, so it is hard to tell. I think Angela should take a picture before you begin the autopsy."

Cam motioned for her new intern to come closer. "Ask Ms. Montenegro to come here. Tell her to bring her digital camera."

Once Angela had arrived and taken the requested picture, Cam motioned for Brennan and Hodgins to help her turn the body over once more. "You can take a picture of his face while you're here. Maybe he's been reported missing."

Hodgins was checking the leather belt that had been clasped around the victim's waist and found a hidden compartment. It was thin and narrow, but something was in the pocket. Taking a pair of tweezers, he grasped the piece of metal and pulled out a U.S. Army dog tag. "Well, look at what I found . . . Claire Collins, O positive, Christian and a social security number . . . We can get Angela to do a search on that name."

The army tag was an unusual find, but Cam hoped it led them to their victim. "We can get Booth to do the search. He has access to a few more databases that we do plus he as contacts at the Pentagon."

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

"Master Sergeant Claire Collins, born in July 20, 1965, served in the United States Army as a truck mechanic, retired as an E8 in 2004. She was married to Joseph Collins in 1985 and she had a son in 1991. Joseph Collins died in Iraq in 1991 . . . he was killed two months before his son was born . . . that's tough." Booth had looked into Joseph's death and found that the Lieutenant had been killed by a IED. "Claire is living in Williamsport, Maryland with her second husband, Hans Bourgeois. They own a small farm outside of town. Claire's son was named after his father, Joseph Xavier Collins, Jr. The victim was reported missing a week ago by Claire."

"I think we know who this is, but I need a DNA sample from his mother or if possible, a toothbrush owned by Joseph, Jr." Cam shook his head. "The young man was stabbed in the back nicking an artery in his heart. I won't tell you which one since I know you don't care. He bled out rather quickly . . . much like Vincent did." The thought of the quirky intern gave her pause. The funeral had been well attended and Mr. and Mrs. Murray had been so kind to her after the funeral, inviting her to the wake at their house. Clearing her throat, she shook her head. "Yes, well, whoever killed him didn't want him identified, but of course, they all forget about DNA."

Booth closed his notebook and pointed over his shoulder. "I'll go see if Bones wants to go with me to see Claire." If she wanted to go, he'd call Max and let him know they might be an hour or two late getting home.

"Good, Dr. Brennan has been worried that you might freeze her out of investigations because of her pregnancy." Cam had heard Brennan's complaints for several days and she appreciated that Booth was still working with her anthropologist in the field.

"It's early days." Booth had heard the same complaints. "I'll get that DNA for you."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

The trip to Williamsport was uneventful, which can't be said for when they arrived. Pulling into the yard in front of the house, Booth glanced at the barn and saw a man running from the open barn door to the back of the house. "I assume that's Hans." Stepping out of the truck, Booth waited in front of his truck for Brennan to join him. The sound of the front door opening, Booth looked towards the front of the house and saw a man charging out onto the porch with a rifle in his hands. Quickly pulling his gun, Booth aimed it at the man. "FBI, put the gun down."

"No, you put your gun down. If you don't I'll shoot the woman." Hans Bourgeois was terrified. He didn't know why the FBI had made it to his door so quickly, but he was going to protect himself.

"Drop the gun now." Booth's eyes were boring into the gunman. If the man moved, he knew that he would shoot.

Han licked his lips, threw the barrel of his rifle up and aimed it at Brennan when he heard a shot ring out and felt a burning sensation in his chest. Dropping his rifle, he looked down at the blood spreading on chest, fell to his knees then fell face down on the oak boards of the porch.

A scream came from inside the house and immediately a woman appeared on the porch, knelt next to the body and wept. "He was afraid . . . he was afraid." Claire touched the cheek of her husband and shook her head. "I reported my son Joseph missing and Hans started acting strangely when he found out and he . . . he wouldn't let me leave the house. He said the police wouldn't understand . . . I've tried to get him tell me what he meant, but I think I know . . . He killed Joseph didn't he? Joseph disappeared and Hans wouldn't let me report it, but he had to sleep sometime and when he did I made the call . . . Is my son dead?"

Booth moved up onto the porch, picked up the rifle and handed it down to Brennan who was standing on the steps. She could see that Hans Bourgeois was dead from where she was standing. There was a large pool of blood under the body and there were no signs of breathing. "We think so. A body was discovered in the Park a few days ago. We found a U.S. Army dog tag in a special pocket in a belt around his waist."

"My dog tag." Claire continued to weep. "I buried his father with his tags, so when Joseph was around thirteen I gave him one of mine . . . He and Hans never got on. Hans wanted Joseph to be a farmer and take over this farm when he died. Joseph wanted to go into the service . . . they've been arguing a lot lately. Joseph came home from college a few weeks ago and said he quit. He was going to join the Army like his real father . . . Hans was his father, he tried to be . . . Joseph disappeared last week and I was afraid that Hans had banished my son, but Hans started to act strangely. He wouldn't let me go to the store or church or make phone calls and I knew . . . I knew."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Ms. Bourgeois." Booth stared down at the body. "Are you alone? Do we need to call anyone?"

Claire stood up and stared down at her dead spouse. "My son Blair is visiting his grandparents for the summer. I'll call them and ask them to bring him home . . . I don't know how I'm going to tell them that their son is dead . . . I guess Blair will inherit the farm if he wants it." Sobbing, she placed her hands over her eyes and started to cry harder.

Brennan handed Booth the rifle, walked around the body and placed her arms around Claire. Normally she wasn't one to hug strangers, but she was moved to help the woman in her time of need. Her pregnancy was probably influencing her emotions, but Brennan didn't care about that.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

After the local Sheriff had been notified about what had happened at the farm and the local coroner had collected Hans' body, Booth and Brennan left. While he was driving towards home, the image of Hans aiming his rifle at Brennan kept flashing into his mind. "Bones, no more trips into the field. At least not until the baby is born."

"What?" Brennan was outraged. "Nothing happened to me, Booth. You saw what was happening and you protected me. Hans is dead. I am not staying out of the field because of this incident."

"Incident!" The word was shouted, Booth was so angry. "Incident? He aimed his rifle at you. If I been just a little bit slower, he would have shot you. Maybe killed the baby or you and the baby."

Calmly, Brennan placed her hand on Booth's arm. "We won't talk about this right now while you're upset. We'll talk about it tonight when you're calmer."

"Calmer." Booth ground his teeth. "He tried to kill you. What makes you think I'll be calmer tonight . . . yeah we will talk about this, Bones. Tonight!"

She knew he was upset, but she was certain that once they had a proper discussion about the situation that she would win.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

After they arrived home, they found that Parker was in bed and Max was sitting in the living room watching television. "Hey, you two, I made some soup. It's still in the crockpot so it should be warm."

Ignoring Max, Booth stalked into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge and moved down the hallway towards the bedroom.

Curious, Max watched Booth slam the door shut after he entered the bedroom. Turning, he faced his daughter. "What happened?"

"A suspect pointed a rifle at me. Booth is upset." Brennan moved into the kitchen and removed a bottle of water from the fridge. Once the cap was removed, she drank until she was satisfied. "He doesn't want me in the field while I'm pregnant which is ridiculous."

"I'm on Booth's side. It's not ridiculous." Max had followed Brennan into the kitchen and watched her pick up an apple from the fruit basket and take a bite from it.

In no mood to argue with her father, Brennan swallowed her bite of apple. "I don't think Booth and I will be eating dinner tonight." Eating the rest of the apple, she threw the core away and walked past Max out into the hallway to her bedroom. Opening the door, she found the room unoccupied and the light on in the bathroom. Entering the bathroom, she found Booth in the tub, leaning back against the wall, swallowing some beer from the bottle. "Do you wish to discuss what happened now or later?"

"He was going to shoot you, Bones. If he'd shot you in the stomach . . . you can't go into the field until the baby is born."

"Do not tell me what to do, Booth." Brennan was furious. She was not going to allow Booth to control her life. "I will go into the field if I want to. I am your partner. You need backup and I will not let you go out on interviews by yourself."

He knew she was angry, but so was he. The sight of Hans Bourgeois aiming his rifle at Brennan had been his worst nightmare. "He could have killed you."

"But he didn't."

"Tell me what would have happened if he had shot you in the stomach. Tell me what damage would have occurred. Be the scientist you are and tell what would have been the consequences if he'd shot you in the stomach." Booth waited to see how she would respond.

Irritated, Brennan sat on the toilet and stared at her boyfriend and partner. "If the abdominal aorta or vena cava is hit, especially by a rifle bullet, the victim will bleed to death in a matter of a few minutes. Wounds in the liver or kidney blood vessels also can quickly exsanguinate the victim unless quick medical treatment is given. One doesn't have to be pregnant to die from a gunshot wound to the abdomen, Booth. You are just as likely to die from such a wound as I. Of course, if there is no major blood vessel damage if the bullet hits the stomach or intestines then it is unlikely you'd die if you receive proper medical treatment."

"And if the bullet went through the baby, he or she'd be dead. You left that part out." Booth moved the beer bottle to the floor next to the tub, leaned over and let the water run out of the tub. "I don't want to lose you or the baby. You . . . you're my life, Bones. I know you don't want to hear it, but that's what this is about. If you died . . ." He couldn't finish the sentence. Standing he grabbed a towel from the towel bar and started to dry off. "You're resourceful and brave, everyone knows that and I know you can protect yourself, but not under all conditions. Hell, I'm in danger too when bullets start flying, I know that. I'm not a hypocrite, but you have a baby growing inside you. That means if you die, the baby dies too. It's not just about you. I know that's not fair, but you of all people know that life is not fair. Your parents ran away when you were fifteen and you were dumped into the Foster Care system. Your mother was killed by Vince McVickar when you were sixteen and you didn't find that out until you were thirty. You're the poster child for life's unfairness." Wrapping the towel around his waist, Booth stepped out of the tub.

Brennan stood up and crossed her arms against her breasts. "I cannot do my job, if I can't go out to crime scenes. It is important that I observe the body in situ. The placement of the body and the surroundings can give important clues."

Studying Brennan, Booth finally nodded his head. "I don't want to keep you from doing your job, Bones . . . We'll compromise, you can go to crime scenes, but you can't go with me to interview suspects. Interviews at the Hoover would be okay though. It's not like we allow armed suspects to enter interrogation rooms."

She thought about it and nodded her head. She knew that Booth was giving in more than she was and she appreciated that. "Your compromise is acceptable."

"Good." Booth moved closer to Brennan and placed his hands on her upper arms. "I know this is hard for you, but thank you."

"You're welcome." Brennan hated to give in to any demands, but Booth's compromise was the best of a bad situation. "I care about my fetus, Booth. I just need you to acknowledge that I am not an invalid. I can do my work as well as before I became pregnant. Access to the crime scene is a very important part of what I do . . . As long as you have trustworthy backup when you go to interviews then this is acceptable. Just remember, you are not allowed to die either. I want you to live just as much as you want me to live."

He kissed her. "Got it. Thank you."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	112. Chapter 112

(After 'The Change in the Game')

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"This is cool, Dad. Thanks for bringing me here."

As they entered The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, Booth held the door open for Brennan and his son. "Bones is doing research on stuff involving the soldiers that were wounded and died during the Civil War and she wants some pictures to go with her research." There was no way Booth was going to tell his son that the research involved the primitive medical treatments they'd had at the time and the fact that surgeries were not done antiseptically. The patient was given chloroform by the surgeon and then the operation began.

It made Booth's skin crawl just thinking about it. The thought of medical tools not being sterilized, doctors not caring if their hands were washed, dropped surgical tools just dunked in water and wiped off with a sponge made him grateful that he had served in the Army in modern times. From what Brennan had told him, if he'd had to deal with medicine from that time period after he was rescued from the Republican Guard it would have likely meant his feet would have been amputated. Shuddering, Booth moved those dark thoughts to the back of his mind where they needed to stay.

Brennan picked up a park map from the service desk and flipped through it. She noticed it offered suggestions for self-guided Auto Tours and walking trails. Normally she would have liked the walking trail, but her feet were swollen from driving from the District to Gettysburg and she knew that Booth wasn't a big fan of walking for hours. Her man exercised regularly and was in good health, but excessive walking caused his feet to swell. "Booth we can do the self-guided auto tour . . . there is a fee if we want a guided tour that lasts two hours . . . $75."

"$75 . . . that's . . . that's expensive." Booth was starting to worry just how much it was going to cost him to go on this specialized vacation. "But, yeah, okay."

Amused, Brennan smiled at her boyfriend. "Since this is part of my research I plan to pay for the tours, Booth. In this case, you and Parker are my guests."

"Well, if you insist." Booth looked at the brochure and noticed there was a film they could see. "Look, they've got a film we can watch called 'A New Birth of Freedom'. Parker do you want to see it?"

His attention back on his father, Parker nodded his head. "Yes Sir, I sure would."

At $15 for Brennan, $14 for him because he was a military veteran and $10 for Parker, Booth realized that no matter what they did, this vacation was going to be a little more expensive than he had counted on. _We should have gone back to the cabin. That was free._

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

The tour of the museum had been interesting and once they were on the tour of the cemetery, Brennan had been able to take some great pictures. Afterward they visited the George Spangler Farm Civil War Field Hospital. Brennan had been excited to make that tour since it's the best surviving example of a farm used as a corps field hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg. Amazingly, over 1,900 wounded Union and Confederate soldiers were treated there.

The tour cost $6 for adults and $2 for Parker, which Booth thought was reasonable. There were living historians in authentic dress that demonstrated the trades of that period, which Parker enjoyed. Booth appreciated the patience and kindness the historians displayed when talking to his son. He had been at Civil War reenactments in the past when he was a child and he loved the efforts put into making sure the uniforms and costumes were as close to authentic as possible.

Brennan studied the medical devices that were on display and knew that the doctors at the time had done the best they could under horrendous circumstances. Working on badly injured patients, hundreds more waiting for their attention with little time to rest, making life and death decisions for hours at a time. Their working conditions were brutal and she was sure that by the end of their nightmarish time in the barn, most of them has suffered from PTSD.

There were a few unknown Civil War era bones in Bones Storage. The damage done by mini bullets on human bodies had been catastrophic during that particular war. Most limbs shattered when hit by them which forced field physicians to amputate the damaged limbs. She had come up with the idea of doing a research paper about the wounds while identifying the bones belonging to a young Union soldier. The young man had been seventeen years old and Brennan knew that he had died in agony. Alone, in Bones storage she had wept for the loss of such a young life and the terrible way he had died. She suspected her pregnancy had caused the emotional outburst, but in the end, she felt no shame in crying.

Their day complete, Booth drove them over to the '1863 Inn of Gettysburg'. Brennan had researched the local inns and hotels and had chosen that one because it was within walking distance to museums and several restaurants. Parker was thrilled when he found out there was a pool.

Because Parker was too young to stay in a hotel room by himself, Brennan had rented a room with two queen size beds. The rooms were comfortable and their particular room overlooked the pool. "Dad, can we go swimming, please?"

Staring down at the pool from their window, Booth smiled. "Well, we need to go eat dinner first, but I don't see why we can't go when we come back."

"Oh boy." Parker loved swimming pools and swam whenever he got the chance.

Brennan helped Booth unpack their bags while Parker watched television. "I was able to get some very detailed pictures of the surgical equipment used at the George Spangler Farm. They will help augment my research paper . . . If you'd like we can skip going to Antietam and Manassas if you'd like. I feel that I have sufficient pictures to go along with my article. If there is somewhere else you'd like to go, we can change our plans. It's not too late."

Listening to Brennan talking to his father, Parker turned from the television and interrupted them. "If I get a vote I'd like to go to Antietam. It was fun today and maybe we can see more cool stuff there . . . please." He looked at his father with a begging look which made Booth laugh.

"Alright, Sport. I don't see why we can't go see some more Civil War sites." Booth placed Parker's shirts and pants in the dresser and closed the drawer. "I think Bones wants to go to some museums around here tomorrow, so maybe we'll see some cool stuff there."

"Neat." Parker turned back towards the television. "Don't forget you said we can go swimming after dinner."

Brennan held up her new bathing suit for Booth to see. "We won't Parker." A low whistle from Booth showed her that he appreciated the suit. It was a modest swimsuit by popular standards, but it was sexy enough for her mate.

Staring at the black one piece suit, Booth appreciated the fact that anyone seeing her baby bump would probably leave her alone. It irritated the hell out of him when men made passes at his partner and hopefully being pregnant would cut down on some of that nonsense.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

The evening had ended on a quiet note. After swimming in the pool for a couple of hours, the little family retired to their hotel room and watched a baseball game on television. Luckily for Booth, it was a Phillies game. Keeping the television volume low, Booth didn't want to wake the now sleeping Parker who was lying on the other bed. Brennan was leaning against the headboard and was writing up notes about her visits to the museum and cemetery. "I think I will get my pictures processed by Angela when we go home. I am quite pleased that I was able to take pictures of the medical equipment. I'm glad we came on this trip."

Booth turned his head and smiled at Brennan. "That sounds great . . . are you comfortable? I can get more pillows from housekeeping." Booth was aware that sometimes Brennan was uncomfortable lying down and extra pillows helped.

"No, I'm fine." Brennan placed her notebook down on her lap. "I know it will become harder to find a comfortable position to sleep as my pregnancy progresses, but so far it is just mild discomfort and the extra pillows I took from Parker's bed will suffice."

The Phillies scored which caught Booth's attention. "Alright . . . I wish I'd bought some beer for the fridge. I'll think about that tomorrow." He loved nothing better than watching a game and drinking beer . . . well there were a few things he liked better, but that wasn't going to happen with Parker in the same room. "Are you having fun, Bones?" He had wanted to do what she wanted for vacation since the cabin had been his idea the last time they went on vacation. "If you want to do something special, you let me know."

"I will." Brennan reached out and grasped Booth's hand. "So far, this vacation has been excellent and it was what I was hoping for . . . If you want to do anything special, you let me know. It's your vacation too."

Pulling her hand up to his lips, he kissed it. "I love you Bones."

"I know. I love you too."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Kind of a quiet chapter.


	113. Chapter 113

(After 'The Change in the Game')

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland proved to be just as interesting as Gettysburg. The visitor center had a theater that showed a 26-minute orientation film narrated by James Earl Jones that Booth and Parker found fascinating. Brennan made a few notes while the film ran and appreciated the information included in the film. After the film was over, Booth picked up a tour map and decided they'd do the Auto tour. Walking on a long tour wasn't really an option. Brennan took pictures of the battlefield, some of the regimental monuments and the Clara Barton monument as they toured the area.

Brennan hadn't known that there was a monument dedicated to Clara Barton there, but she was pleased to see it. Clara was a pioneering nurse and had founded the Red Cross. Her efforts during the Civil War to help the soldiers injured in battle were admirable. Not only did she provide comfort and aide, she had also supplied food and clothing to those soldiers who needed it. Brennan admired her determination to work in inhumane conditions and to succeed in helping those who needed it.

Once their tour was done, they drove over to Hagerstown and got a hotel room at Spring Hill Suites. Once again Parker was delighted to find out that there was a pool. The pool was the first indoor pool he had ever swam in and he loved it. "I really like this swimming pool, Dad. Someday I'm going to buy a house and it's going to have an indoor pool just like this one. That means I can swim even when it's snowing outside."

Standing in the shallow end of the pool, Booth grabbed a towel lying next to Brennan and wiped his eyes with it. "Well, it sounds like you better find a job that makes a lot of money then." Finished with the towel, he tossed it on the cement floor and patted Brennan's leg. She was sitting on the rim of the pool, moving her feet in a slow scissor fashion in the water. "Want to come in? The water isn't too cold."

Moving closer to the edge, Brennan slipped into the pool and stood next to her partner. "This is a nice pool . . . but I think I prefer pools that are outside." Turning to face her partner, she placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him. "Of course, an indoor pool does have a certain degree of privacy."

While his son swam near them, Booth leaned forward and returned her kiss. "Well, we can't afford an indoor pool and our yard isn't big enough to add onto the house anyway, so we'll never know."

"You can't afford an indoor pool, but I could afford one if I wanted it. Of course, I do realize that our property wouldn't allow for that kind of an expansion." She kissed him and whispered in his ear. "If we had an outdoor pool in the backyard it would still give us some privacy. We have high fences and trees bordering our yard and there is room for a small pool."

Booth thought about it and smiled. "I suppose you could give me a pool for my birthday . . . if you want to buy me one I wouldn't object."

"You wouldn't?" This surprised her. Normally Booth was touchy about expensive purchases and presents. She had paid for the house out of necessity, but Booth paid for utilities and the upkeep of the house. She knew that it was important to him to feel like he was contributing. When it came to major purchases for the house, he liked to pay half the purchasing price even when it was inconvenient and busted his budget. She knew that it was important to him to feel like he was contributing because anything less made him fear he was turning into his father.

"Nah . . . I've been thinking about stuff lately and well . . . you should be able to buy anything that you want. You have the money and stuff like pools aren't that big of a deal. Not really." A lot of things had happened in the last couple of years including his brain tumor and his former ex moving to England and taking their son with her. That move had been done without warning and he'd had to accept it. Those jolts in his life had made him realize that he couldn't control everything that happened to him. He could try, but outside agencies would always make that impossible and he had two options. He could roll with the punches or rail against it and turn into a bitter bastard like his father was. He wasn't his father. He would never allow that to happen.

The murder of Gale Storm and the discovery that Wayne Kitchen had been a traitor had also added to his feeling that life was unpredictable and if the woman he loved wanted to use her money to buy things he couldn't afford to pay for then he would just have to tamp down his pride and allow it to happen. Who was he to object about something that Brennan wanted to buy? She didn't tell him how to spend his money, so why should he rain on her parade when it came to her money? "I want you to be happy, Bones. I want you to know that I have your back, yours and the baby . . . I just want you to be able to enjoy life and be happy and if you want to buy stuff then you should be able to do it without me making a big deal about it. If you want a pool then buy one. Just keep in mind it can't be a big one."

"I am happy, Booth." Brennan wasn't sure why Booth's mood had changed, but it was an odd turn of events and a little unsettling. "Pools don't make me happy. You do."

He placed his hands on her waist and moved closer to her. "Thanks and you make me happy." Leaning forward he kissed her again.

"Ewww." Parker was didn't care for public displays of affection especially if it involved his father. "Come on Dad. Swim with me."

Amused, Booth pecked Brennan's lips to annoy his son, turned quickly, dove to the left, came up in front of Parker, picked him up and threw him a few feet towards the deeper end of the pool. Since there weren't any other patrons using the pool at the time, Booth didn't see any harm in using all of the pool.

Spluttering, Parker broke the surface and laughed. "That was fun, Dad. Do it again."

As his son swam towards him, Booth felt a wave happiness move over him. His oldest child was with him at least for now, his partner/girlfriend was pregnant and they were living together in a home that would soon include their baby. He'd been sidelined for a while when it had been discovered that he had a brain tumor and it had to be removed. He had fought hard to recover with the help of Brennan and his friends and he felt like he was himself again. Life could throw trash at him, but it was up to him to press on. He refused to let the terrible things bring him down, not when he had so much going for him. His life was blessed and interesting and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Standing near the shallow end of the pool, watching her mate and his son playing, Brennan felt a sense of peace. They had been though a lot in the last couple of years, but they had come through it whole and well and Brennan was grateful for that. She was going to have Booth's baby and she had never been happier. He had given her a family, something that she had never dreamed would happen. Certain that she would be alone forever, Booth had changed that when he came into her life. He was stubborn and temperamental, but truthfully, so was she. They bickered a lot about inconsequential things, but when it came to the important things, the things that really mattered, they usually came to a consensus and moved on. They were partners and supported each other when it counted and she could admit that she didn't want any of it to change. She was living an unexpected life and she was looking forward to seeing what came next.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

A/N: I know this chapter reads like I'm ending this story, but I'm not. I have no idea how long this story is going to be. I suppose it will depend upon how many readers continue to support it.


	114. Chapter 114

(The Memories in the Shallow Grave)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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Eight months pregnant and Brennan felt very uncomfortable. Her work continued to be the only thing that kept her from staying at home. She had bodies in Bones Storage that needed to be identified and Booth continued to have cases. The FBI forensics lab was overloaded with their own work and counted on the Medico-Legal Lab to take up the slack. She knew that sooner or later she would have to stop working but for now she felt she was still able to contribute to the team.

Booth was growing a little frantic when it came to his partner's safety. She didn't want to give in and stay at home the last few weeks of her pregnancy and he was afraid that going to crime scenes might endanger her life. He had thought she would quit going out in the field during her sixth month, but he had been sorely disappointed when she continued to ride with him to crime scenes. No matter how much he argued about her safety she ignored him and his feeling of dread grew steadily as the weeks progressed. He feared what would happen if anything happened to Brennan and or the baby. He was not prepared to lose either one of them, but no matter how much he pushed she pushed back.

The latest crime scene was in a paintball park. The grounds were steep and covered in mud and paint making walking precarious. Booth kept a watchful eye on Brennan and made sure the crime scene was secure. He had threatened several techs and agents with bodily harm if the crime scenes weren't locked down properly and they took him very seriously. No one screwed with Agent Seeley Booth especially when it was about his partner.

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The case was an unexpectedly emotional one for Booth and Brennan. The victim had been killed by a psychologist who had found out that his client knew where there was a large stash of stolen money. Dr. Yazrik owed a lot of money to the wrong people because of gambling debts and he was getting desperate. Claire Serrano was the answer to his prayers and he had killed her, took the money and placed her body in the hole that had held the small fortune.

Brennan and Cam had discovered that Claire had been attacked six months prior to her death and after Booth talked to Claire's husband, they found out she had retrograde amnesia. The woman had two complete set of memories. She had disappeared after she had been attacked and had led a life of crime for six months. Something triggered a memory of her past life and she returned home, but she was suffering from memory loss. Most of the time she didn't seem to know her husband and where she was, but her husband had reported that she was doing better.

The fact that the woman had started a new life had impressed Brennan. Claire had suffered from a violent attack and had survived. She had managed to find someone to hook up with and she had been fairly safe until she had returned home. The fact that they never determined who had attacked her six months prior to her death meant they didn't know if it was spousal abuse or not. Her husband denied it and they couldn't prove he was lying. It made Brennan sad that they could solve Claire's murder, but not her attack. Sometimes, justice wasn't completely served.

Booth hated that the victim had died because Dr. David Yazrik had let his addiction to gambling control him and allowed him to murder someone. Claire had been a means of continuing that gambling and he had felt little compunction about taking her life. He felt that his helping her had meant that she owed him.

One of Booth's biggest fears was that something might trigger his own addiction someday and he might gamble again. He attended meetings fairly regularly and he felt he had it under control, but sometimes doubts would invade his mind and he prayed that God would give him the strength to keep away from his old gambling habits. He was living with the woman of his dreams and they had a baby on the way and the thought of betraying them made him feel sick. He vowed that he would never jeopardize his relationship with Brennan by returning to gambling, but he knew that sometimes things happened in life that made addicts weak and caused them to fall back into old habits. The thought of betraying Brennan and the consequences made him all too aware that if he betrayed her his relationship with her might not survive.

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"Bones . . . you know I used to gamble . . . that I'm an addict." Booth placed his fork down, placed his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together. "I'll never betray you. I want you to know that."

She had noticed her partner's behavior had been rather odd since they had arrived home, but she hadn't realized that he was worried about his gambling addiction. "You aren't Dr. Yazrik, Booth. You haven't gambled in a long time. You go to your meetings at least once a week, you talk to Gavin. I'm not worried."

"But I am." Booth turned his face and stared at the clock on the wall. "I'm a recovering addict. I will always be recovering. There isn't a cure for my problem . . . But I know I have to fight it not just for myself but for you and the baby, for Parker. I want my kids to be able to count on me. I want you to be able to count on me . . . You guys will always be important to me and I'll try my damnedest not to betray you."

Slightly afraid, Brennan was wondering if Booth had felt the call to gamble since they had worked on their last case. "If you need someone to talk to Booth . . . about gambling, I'm here for you. You don't think the case affected you did it?"

"No, not really." Booth crossed his arms and leaned on the table and turned his head to look at his partner. "It's just that Yazrik was a successful doctor, a psychologist and he let his addiction take over . . . Addiction isn't a shirt you can pull on and then take off. I know that if I gave in and gambled just once, it would pull me right in and I . . . I don't want that to happen. I'm going to give up on playing office sports pools. They only cost a buck a week, but it's a slippery slope. I can't take the risk. I can't lose you and the baby. I can't risk it."

Moving her hand, she placed it on his arm. "You have a plan and that's good. You recognize that you're susceptible and you're doing something about it. I trust you, Booth. I'm on your side."

His love for Brennan ever growing, he nodded his head and sighed. "Thanks, Bones . . . my Dad never tried to fight his alcoholism or at least not as far as I know and Jared . . . he's following down the same path. I don't mean I think he's beating Padme or anything, but he's drinking again and I can't get him to see that he has a problem."

"Don't give up, Booth. If you wish to try to help Jared then don't give up." Brennan knew that the relationship between the brothers was often strained, but Booth still loved Jared and he didn't want to give up on him. "Perhaps we can invite them over to dinner and afterward you can make an excuse to see your brother alone and talk to him about going to a meeting."

"Yeah, we can try that . . . or maybe I can invite him to come and watch a game with me on my new television . . . that 52 inch screen is just what my man cave needed."

"It makes me cross eyed watching it. It's too big for the room." Booth had bought the TV on sale and he wouldn't admit that it was too big.

Picking up his fork, Booth twirled some of the pasta on it. "I've been thinking. I'm going to rearrange the furniture and see if I can put some more space between me and the television. It's not too big, I just haven't set it up right, that's all."

Amused, Brennan shook her head. "If you would like my help, I can work out the optimum layout of the room."

After chewing his forkful of pasta, Booth swallowed and smiled. "There you go, we'll do that after dinner. You just look the room over and once you figure out, I'll move everything around. We make a great team . . . And I will talk to Jared again about his drinking."

"Good." Brennan was proud of her mate. He tried so hard to help his brother even though Jared didn't want Booth's help and tried to keep his brother at a distance most of the time. "If you invite him over I will help you make appropriate snacks for your game. Perhaps seven layer dip and hot wings. No beer or at least not very much. I will make sure that there is very little beer in the fridge when he comes over for the visit . . . I hope he doesn't curse you like he did the last time you tried to talk to him about his drinking."

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "I'm a big boy, I can take it." Reaching across the table, he clasped her hand. "Even if Jared doesn't care about his addiction, I care about mine. I'll always fight for what's right, Bones. I promise."

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	115. Chapter 115

(The Hotdog in the Competition)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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Jacob Brodsky's trial had been delayed by two months and Caroline Julian was ready to go to trial. "Listen Cher', this trial is going to probably last at least two weeks although I'm hoping that one will do. I know Dr. Brennan is coming close to having her baby, but she says she's going to be available to testify . . . I have a schedule of witnesses." She handed Booth a page from her folder. "I know that you're working on a case, but you'll have to make yourself available for the trial."

"Don't worry, I know the drill." Booth glanced at the schedule, folded the paper and slipped it into his jacket pocket. "We're ready for the trial. Brodsky is going to be found guilty and these delays are just his lawyer's way of putting off the inevitable."

"True, still, I want to get this one over and done with." Caroline remembered the head of Heather Taffet exploding into a bloody mist right in front of her eyes. It still made her shudder thinking about it. "Don't miss any court dates and if Dr. Brennan goes into early labor you call me. Even if it's two in the morning. You call the doctor, you get her to the hospital and you call me in that order."

Amused, Booth smiled. "Her doctor says she's fine and she still has a few weeks left . . . Now I have to go. I have an interview to do in an hour . . . I'll see you in court."

"Yes, you will." As the Agent left her office, Caroline grabbed her coffee mug and stood up. "What I need is my own coffee machine and some Community Coffee." Starting for the break room, she noticed Booth standing in the hallway in front of the elevator, talking on the phone. His facial features seemed to turn grim as he talked. Before she could interrupt him to find out what was going on, he ended his call, jammed his phone into his jacket pocket, stalked over to the stairwell and entered it just as the elevator door opened. _I hope nothing's wrong._

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After he entered the D.C. Central Detention Facility, Booth hurried through the check-in process and finally stood in an interview room waiting. The phone call earlier outside Caroline's office had been unexpected and Booth was curious about why Brodsky had asked to meet him. They hadn't spoken since he'd shot Brodsky while capturing him and waiting until two days before the trail seemed an odd time to meet.

A faint smile on his lips, Brodsky entered the room under guard escort, sat down at the table and waited patiently for his cuffs to be locked on a hook on the table. Once the guard was out of the room and Booth was seated, the former assassin shook his head. "I wasn't sure you were going to come."

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "I'm here. What do you want?"

"So, it's like that is it?" A little disappointed, Brodsky shook his head. "We were comrades in arms once . . . brothers. We fought to destroy evil together and we did a damn good job."

"That was a long time ago and you chose a different path to follow than me." Growing impatient, Booth glanced at his watch. "You asked me to come and see you . . . why?"

Since Booth wasn't interested in the brotherhood he once belonged to, Brodsky knew he had to move on. "There isn't going to be a trial. I talked to my lawyer an hour ago and we're done with that. It's just delaying the inevitable and I need to move on . . . the money I made will go to a good cause. I never did what I did for me. I was merely the instrument of God's hand. You should understand that . . . we were on the same side once. I got rid of evil and so did you."

"You killed people for money." Booth stood up. "Why did you want me to come see you? To tell me that you're pleading guilty? What do you want from me?"

Calmly, patiently, Brodsky used his chin and pointed at the chair across from him. "Please sit down and I will come to the point." Once Booth was seated, the prisoner sighed. "I don't have any family left in this life. My parents are dead and so is my sister. All killed in a car accident a few years ago. I never married, so my family was my brothers and sisters in the Army . . . I wanted to say good-bye to someone I know. Everyone should be able to say good-bye to someone."

Puzzled, Booth shook his head. "Good-bye? What deal did your lawyer work out for you? Did you get life or what?"

"Oh, I got the death penalty, but since my work is done, I guess it doesn't matter. We all die sometime. Some people just get to choose how and when it's done." Brodsky chuckled. "We were friends once and I'd like you to come to my funeral when it's done. I'm going to be buried in Dallas next to my parents and sister. I don't expect much of a turnout, but I'd like it if you can come. I'd like at least one person to be at my funeral . . . sure, it's pride I suppose, but really, I'd like someone that knows me to see me off to my eternal rest."

The conversation had taken a turn that Booth hadn't expected, but Brodsky was right. No one should be buried without being noticed by someone. "I'll go to your funeral, Jake . . . I promise."

"Thank you. You and I didn't agree about a lot of things, but we were brothers in the Rangers and you were the closest thing I had to a relative. I guess that's sad in a way, but I . . . well, we all have to play the hand we're dealt. You have a fine strong son, a woman that loves you, so you hit the jackpot. Me . . . Paula was the best thing that happened to me in a long time and . . . she shouldn't have taken her life like that. What she did, she did for me and she shouldn't have paid that price . . . You should have left her alone, but I forgive you . . . Now, I've said my good-bye, don't forget to come to my funeral."

His former friend was giving off very odd vibes, but then Jacob had always marched to the beat of another drummer. "What Paula did was wrong. She told you where to find Coolidge even though he was in Witness Protection and you hunted him down and killed him. She could have resigned. She didn't have to kill herself."

"She could have done a lot of things, but she took her life because she paid back a debt of honor to me and that ruined her career because you couldn't ignore what she'd done. Paula was an honorable woman, a veteran and a purple heart winner. You know that. You didn't have to go after her . . . She took her life because it was her decision to make." Brodsky knew that Booth would never understand what he was talking about. The Agent had a core set of beliefs and there was nothing he could do to help him about that. "Good-bye Booth."

The conversation was over and Booth was ready to leave. "Good-bye Jake. I'll come back to see you if you want me to. Even if the State is going to execute you, it'll take time . . . If you want me to I can witness your execution . . . if you need someone you know there. It's up to you."

"No thank you." Jacob smiled. "Just come to my funeral."

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Behind on reports, Booth settled behind his desk, flipped open the top folder and started to read. Barely into the second paragraph, he was interrupted by his phone. "Booth."

 _Jacob Brodsky is dead. He died thirty minutes ago. He attacked a prison guard and tried to strangle the man. They couldn't get his hands from around the guard's neck and the man was suffocating. They shot him to stop him. Brodsky bled to death before they could get him to the infirmary._

"Oh my God." Stunned, Booth turned his chair and stared at his medals set in a display case hanging on the wall behind his desk. "Caroline, I just talked to him an hour ago . . . He asked to see me. He told me about taking a plea."

 _A plea? He didn't take a plea. As far as I know we were going to trial in two days . . . Did he say who he talked to about the plea?_

"He said he'd talked to his lawyer an hour before I'd seen him and that there wasn't going to be a trial. He said his work was done and that he was going to die . . . damn it. I assumed he had accepted a guilty plea from you and that the death penalty hadn't been removed from the table. He attacked that guard to force them to kill him . . . He asked me to come see him to ask me to do him a favor. He asked me to go to his funeral and he said good-bye." He felt sick. If he had known that Brodsky was planning on committing suicide by Cop he would have stopped it. "Jake was pretty religious. I never thought he'd find a way to kill himself like that . . . of course he didn't die by his own hand . . . damn it!"

 _Why'd he want you to go to his funeral? You were the one who arrested him. You shot him._

Staring at the medals, Booth remembered when Jacob had actually been his friend. "He doesn't have any family and he wanted to make sure someone went to his funeral . . . He was a friend a long time ago and I told him I'd go . . . He always had to do things his way."

 _Well, it's done. Brodsky's lawyer has been contacted and he's going to arrange to have Brodsky's body shipped to Dallas for burial. I guess you'd better call him for the details . . . Brodsky . . . Taffet . . . they can't hurt anyone else in this life. Good riddance._

The call ended, Booth turned back to face his desk. "Yeah, they can't hurt anyone else . . . But there's always someone else waiting to take their place."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	116. Chapter 116

(The Prince in the Plastic)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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The trip to Dallas had been surreal. Brodsky had been well respected by his peers until he had taken a turn down a bad road and had become a gun for hire. Most of them understood his need to get rid of evil, but not the way he had done it. Not only had he killed evil men he had killed a young woman to use her apartment and a brother in arms for his rifle and access pass. Those deaths were hard to forgive.

Besides Booth, the only one to turn up at Brodsky's funeral was William Preston. Bill had worked with Jacob Brodsky on the Dallas Swat team and they had served together in Afghanistan. Although Jake had broken his ties with the men he had served with, Bill felt he needed to come to the man's funeral, to honor the man he once considered a comrade.

"Wow, why are you here?" Bill had left his car and as he had approached Jacob's gravesite, he had spotted Booth standing near the coffin. Moving over to where the FBI Agent was standing, Bill glanced around and saw that there would be no one else attending the funeral.

"He asked me to come." Booth had never liked Bill, but that was for personal reasons. He knew that Bill was someone you could depend upon to do his duty and clearly that included honoring a fellow Ranger who had fallen. "He didn't want his burial to be unwitnessed."

Shifting his feet, Bill clasped his hands together and stared at the coffin. "I could see he was going off the rails after his last tour. He was a religious man, but he seemed to get more serious about it . . . talking about the evil of the world and how someone needed to stop it . . . I thought it was just talk . . . I should have taken what he was saying seriously. He needed help."

In the past, Booth had seen some of his friends crumble under pressure. PTSD was a hard thing to accept and there were those who had considered a diagnoses like that to be a sign of weakness. Some had sought help and others had tried to help themselves. A few had killed themselves and Booth had understood why they had chosen that path. He could never take that road, but it wasn't hard to understand why some of his buddies had given up and wanted peace. "He killed people for money, Bill. He appointed himself judge, jury and executioner. He killed Matt Leishenger for his rifle and his access card to the Port in Wilmington. He killed a good man that had got in his way and that is not forgivable."

Puzzled, Bill frowned as he watched a priest approach the gravesite. "Just why are you here? Yeah, Jacob asked you to come, but he was a murderer, a paid assassin and you hated that. Why come to his funeral?"

"Because he was my friend once and he was a brother . . . I couldn't let him be buried alone. I wanted to make sure someone noticed his passing . . . I was working a case not too long ago and someone quoted T.S. Eliot to me . . . I will show you fear in a handful of dust . . . We fear that no one will notice our absence . . . that we'll disappear without a trace and I believe that's true. Jacob wanted someone to notice his passing, so I came . . . why are you here? You didn't like Jake."

As the priest opened his bible, Bill shrugged his shoulders. "I came for the same reason you did. What he did was bad, but he used to be a man I admired. I could count on him to have my back when there was trouble. He just . . . he just lost his way."

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Tired from his trip, Booth dropped his bag on the bed in the bedroom and walked out to the living room. Opening his good bottle of Scotch, he poured a generous glass full and sat down on the couch. Brennan was at the Lab, much to his annoyance, but he decided to leave her alone. She was due to have her baby anytime and she still wouldn't give up working. He admired her work ethic, but she was taking it too far as far he was concerned.

Leaning back against the couch, he took a swallow of his drink and closed his eyes. The room was quite except for the faint ticking coming from the clock over the mantle. Their house was located on a quiet street and there was little traffic during the day. The trip back from Dallas had been uneventful and he appreciated that. Traveling by plane was torturous at best and traveling Coach just made it worse. He should have taken Brennan's offer and flown first class, but he didn't want to waste the money. They had a baby coming and he knew that babies were expensive. He was looking forward to being a father again and he felt blessed to be having that baby with Brennan.

The front door opened and closed. Booth heard it and turned to face the front door. "Hey, I thought you were going to take it easy."

Placing her purse down on the coffee table, Brennan sat down next to her mate and sighed. "I was only doing paper work. It won't be long before I have the baby and I will be out of work for at least six weeks. I dread to see what my desk will look like when I come back."

Amused, Booth patted her knee. "It'll be a mountain of paper, but you'll get through it . . . Anything important happen while I was gone?"

"Not that I know of." Brennan leaned against Booth. "How was your trip?"

"Eh, it wasn't too bad. The lady that sat next to me read the whole trip, so I read too." Booth hated chattering seat mates and had appreciated the lady sitting next to him ignoring him. "Only two people showed up at Jake's funeral, me and Bill Preston. I really thought some of the men he served with might show up, but I guess not . . . Jake knew what was going to happen, that's why he asked me to go to the funeral . . . He's buried next to his sister and parents . . . He was a great soldier, someone I really looked up to. We were friends way back, but something got twisted inside of him . . . It's hard to understand what went wrong . . . I hope he rests in peace now."

Brennan wasn't a religious person, but she could understand Booth's sentiment. "He can't hurt anyone else . . . Are you hungry? I can make something."

"No, I'll order some pizza." He was tired and he knew that Brennan was too. "Is Jared still planning to come over this weekend?" Booth had invited his brother over for a barbecue the week before Brodsky had died and he had asked Jared to hold off until he came back. His plan was to talk to him about his drinking problem and he wasn't looking forward to that at all.

"As far as I know, he is." Brennan had shopped for Booth and bought brisket and corn on the cob. She had also bought various vegetables that she knew grilled well. "I haven't replenished the beer supply in the refrigerator. I don't want to tempt Jared when he comes over."

Squeezing her knee, Booth grimly stared at the fireplace. "That's fine . . . I don't think this barbecue is going to be very friendly, but I need to try to get through to him . . . He's losing jobs as fast as he gets them. Padme kicked him out of their apartment again . . . He needs help, but I'm not sure he wants it."

She heard the sadness in her mate's voice and she knew that he was worried about his brother. Clasping his hand, she tried to assure him. "I will be here, if you need my support . . . He reacted poorly the last time you talked to him about his drinking. I hope he listens to you this time. His addiction appears to be getting stronger."

"Yeah . . . well, we'll worry about it Saturday. In the meantime, let me order a veggie pizza for you and a meat lovers for me and after we eat we can go to bed. It's been a long day."

"Aright." Brennan stood up. "I'm going to make a salad to eat with our pizza."

He watched her walk slowly into the kitchen and felt a certain amount of pride. Brennan was tough and worked hard, but she was kind and considerate and she knew that he was worried about his brother. She claimed that she wasn't empathic, but Booth knew that she was wrong. He thought she cared too much and tried to protect herself from heartaches. He blamed her parents for Brennan's lack of faith in herself. He would never forgive them for what they had done to their fifteen year old daughter and vowed he would always be available to his kids. He would never abandon them like Max and Ruth had done to Brennan and her brother.

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The barbecue hadn't gone exactly the way Booth had planned it. He had meant the occasion to be just Brennan, himself, Jared and Padme, but at the last minute, Max had shown up and Booth had invited the man to stay for lunch.

When Jared had arrived, he had arrived alone and Booth could see his brother was in a foul mood. "Hey, I'm glad you could make it."

His hands in his pants pockets, Jared entered the house, strode into the living room and spied Brennan through the kitchen doorway, her father sitting at the kitchen table assembling some vegetable kabobs. "Padme didn't want to come . . . I'm not living with her right now . . . she's got some things she needs to work through."

Careful how he responded, Booth closed the door behind his brother and followed him into the living room. "Max is here. I forgot he was coming over to watch the game with me this weekend . . . he's nervous about Bones and it's his way of checking on her without actually saying that's what he's doing."

"I get it. No problem." Jared entered the kitchen and walked over to where Brennan was standing near the stove. "Hey, Tempe . . . Looking good."

Amused, Brennan smiled. "I'm sure I look like a very pregnant woman but thank you."

"Hey, you look beautiful to me." Booth walked over to the fridge and removed a bottle of Coke. Opening it, he turned to look at his brother. "Hey, want a Coke, some water, we have tea?"

"I'll take a beer." Jared walked over to the fridge and looked inside. "Three beers, you have to be kidding me?" Grabbing a bottle, he opened it. "You need to make a run to the store."

Booth sipped some of his Coke and screwed the cap back on. "Nope, Bones can't drink beer right now and I don't like to drink it in front of her . . . I have the brisket on. It'll be ready in about an hour . . . want to go look at it?" Booth opened the glass sliding door leading out to the patio and moved over to where the grill was. His brother followed him out onto the patio closing the door behind him.

"Is that the new grill?" Jared was envious of his brother. "Must be nice to be able to buy a big grill like that."

Not wanting a fight, Booth lifted the lid and inspected his brisket. It had a nice crust building up and it smelled delicious enough to make his stomach growl. "Pops went to see Dad . . . He said he's sick . . . his liver might be giving out." Hank had called Booth the previous day trying to encourage him to go and see Edwin, but Booth had refused. "His drinking is finally catching up with him."

His eyes cold, Jared tipped the bottle back over his lips and he drank the entire contents of the bottle. "I don't give a shit about Dad, Seeley and you know it, wait . . . is that why you invited me over here? You want to yell at me about drinking . . . it's none of your business what I do, big brother, so butt out."

Slowly lowering grill, Booth tried to contain his flash of anger. He needed to talk to Jared not get into a verbal war. Turning to face his brother, Booth placed his hands on his hips. "I know what addiction is like Jared. I'm a gambler. I love gambling and I'm an addict. Going to Gamblers Anonymous was the best thing I ever did. They helped get me straightened out and because I haven't gambled in a long time, I have a family, a house, a great job . . . you could have those things too if you'd just try to give up drinking . . . Padme might take you back."

Slinging the empty bottle down with force, they both watched as the bottle shattered on the patio floor. Filled with rage, Jared gestured with his hands as he shouted at his brother. "My life is my life, Seeley. What I do with it is my business. Just because you and Dad are losers doesn't make me one. I don't need your lectures and I don't need you." Furious, Jared stormed back into the house, hurried through the kitchen into the living room and then out the front door slamming it behind him.

Sad that he had failed once more to make his brother see reason, Booth sat down on a lawn chair and stared at the oak tree near the back fence.

They had heard the shouting and they both knew that Booth had failed once more to get his brother to listen to him. After Jared stormed out of the house, Brennan moved over to the glass door, peered out at her mate and sighed. "He tried, but an addict has to want to quit. Booth wanted to quit because he wanted to work with me. His father is dying because he couldn't quit drinking and Jared looks like a lost cause too . . . I feel sad for Booth."

Max walked over to the doorway and looked at his daughter's boyfriend. "It takes strength Honey and it looks like Jared doesn't have the strength that Booth has."

Opening the door, Brennan stepped out onto the patio, moved over to where Booth was sitting and sat down on the chair next to him. She didn't say anything. She knew that her partner needed support, but she felt that it needed to be silent support. He was grieving and she needed to allow him to do that.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	117. Chapter 117

(The Prince in the Plastic)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Though the mood had turned somber, Booth served the brisket and grilled vegetables and sat down with Brennan and Max to eat lunch. Jared storming out of the house had been a possibility when he'd decided to invite him over and talk to him, but he had hoped that Jared would be willing to listen to him this time. Padme had kicked him out of their apartment and she didn't look to be in a forgiving mood. Booth had hoped that would be an incentive for his brother to finally give up drinking. He had been wrong and he was sure it would be months before his brother talked to him again.

Max felt like an intruder and considered leaving, but in the end he stayed. He wanted to show solidarity towards his little family even if what was happening wasn't his business. He knew that addictions were complicated and he knew that Booth would never talk his brother into giving up drinking. Jared had to want to quit and that was the grim truth of the matter. Booth needed to leave Jared alone for awhile and try to quit wanting to his fix him. The only one that could fix Jared was Jared. "This is really good brisket, Booth. Thanks for inviting me."

"You're welcome." Sipping some water, Booth wasn't really in the mood to talk and Brennan and Max could see that.

"Although I don't eat meat, everyone tells me that Booth's culinary skills are quite exemplary." Brennan sipped some lemonade and decided to change the subject. "I am thinking about having a small swimming pool put in the backyard. I haven't priced pools yet or found out what kind of permits we would need. If I have it built it will be Booth's birthday present."

Impressed, Max glanced at Booth who seemed to be ignoring the conversation and smiled. "Well, I'll know where to come in the summer . . . I've heard Parker talk about pools. The way he loves swimming pools I suspect he was an otter in a previous life."

Before Brennan could respond, Booth's phone rang and he answered. "Booth."

Both Brennan and Max became concerned when they saw the look on Booth's face. He looked like someone had punched him in the gut and that meant the call was bad.

Standing, Booth stared at Brennan as he finished the call. "I'll be there as soon as I can . . . Bones, Jared was in an accident. He's in the hospital . . . I need to go. Why don't you stay here and I'll call you when I find out how bad this is?"

"No, Booth. I'm coming with you." Brennan stood up and walked around the table. "Dad, you may stay the evening if you wish. I'll call you from the hospital."

"You guys go and see about Jared. I'll clean up and probably stay the evening." Max waved his daughter away. "Go, its fine. You and Booth need to leave now."

Hurrying into the living room, Brennan snagged her purse from the table near the front door and followed Booth outside. Once they were in the truck, Booth turned to look at Brennan. "The doctor that called said that Jared was DUI. I'm not sure what's going to happen since this is his third DUI . . . He's in surgery."

"We'll worry about the DUI later, Booth . . . This isn't your fault. He was drinking before he came over this afternoon and he continued to drink at our house. He made the decision to leave and to drive drunk."

"I know . . . I know that." Worried, Booth started the SUV. "Me covering up for him a few years ago was the biggest mistake I could have made. I should have let him be arrested for DUI." Backing the truck down the driveway, Booth checked to make sure there was no oncoming traffic. "I need you to call Padme for me, Bones . . . Jared had me as the one to contact in case of emergency. I don't think anyone has called Padme yet."

Her phone in her purse, Brennan pulled it out and called Jared's wife. The phone rang three times and she was moved to voicemail. "Apparently Padme isn't taking my calls."

"We'll worry about her later." Booth didn't know what Padme's deal was, but he would get a nurse or a doctor to call her once they knew how Jared was.

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A loud knock on the front door awakened Max. Struggling to pull his pants and shirt on, he called out as loudly as he could. "I'm coming. Wait for me." Barefoot, he padded down the hallway from the guest bedroom, but before he could arrive someone knocked on the door once more. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Max realized it wasn't as late as he had thought it was. Yanking the front door open, he was surprised to find Hank Booth standing on the stoop. "Hey, sorry . . . I was asleep."

Not sure why Max was at the door, Hank walked in to the house and glanced around. "Where's Seeley and Temperance? I hope they didn't have to work on a Sunday."

"No . . . no, they're not at work." Hank closed the door and ran his left hand through his hair. "Um, Seeley didn't call you?" He wanted to handle the situation as delicately as he could.

Suspicious, Hank turned to face Max. "What's going on? Are they here or not?"

"Um, would you like to sit down?" Max pointed at the couch. "I need to talk to you."

"No I wouldn't like to sit down." Hank crossed his arms against his chest. "Talk to me here."

Shrugging his shoulders, Max walked over to the couch and sat down. His feet cold, he wished he'd brought some socks with him from the bedroom. "Okay, look . . . Jared was in an accident this afternoon and Booth and Tempe are at the hospital. The last time I talked to them was at seven. Jared was out of surgery and they were waiting for him to wake up. I'm here manning the fort . . . Are you okay?" Max stood up, fearful the old man was going to faint or something. He was too pale as far as Max was concerned.

Filled with dread, Hank walked over to the chair next to the couch and sat down. "Why didn't they call me?"

"They tried. Tempe said she tried to call you at home, but you didn't answer. She left a message on your machine." Max sat back down. "Jared suffered a compound fracture of his left leg, some cracked ribs . . . they had to put some pins in his leg . . . Tempe said the surgeon thought he was going to make a full recovery, but he'll probably need therapy . . . Booth had her get a hotel room near the hospital and sleep there tonight while he stayed in the recovery room with Jared. I have Tempe's phone number if you want to call her. I have Booth's number too. We can call one of them and get an update."

"I haven't been home. I've been at the VA." Hank rubbed his face. "My son is dying . . . I was hoping Seeley would change his mind and go see Edwin before he passes away. That's why I'm here . . . I need to go to the hospital and see about Jared . . . I can't believe all of this is happening at the same time."

Max looked down at his feet and stood up. "Let me go put on some socks and shoes and I'll drive you over to the hospital to see Jared. Just give me a few minutes."

"Alright." Hank stared at his hands as they rested on his thighs. "I guess I should buy a cell phone. I never wanted one, but if I had one I would have found out about Jared sooner."

As Max moved down the hallway, he responded to Hank's comment. "I don't own one, but that's just me. Now that Tempe is going to have a baby, I guess I'll need to buy one . . . damn I hate the idea of owning one."

Hank listened to Max and shook his head. The younger man seemed to have an unusual hate for a phone. It was odd passion, but who was he to judge?

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He found Booth in the room assigned to Jared. Hank entered the room, nodded his head at his oldest grandson and moved over to the bed where Jared lay. "Max told me about Jared and brought me over. He's downstairs getting some coffee."

Rubbing his eyes lids, Booth yawned. "He's been asleep since they brought him in the room. His surgeon is supposed to come by tomorrow morning . . . Bones is at the hotel resting. I didn't want her to stay here overnight. She's going to have her baby soon and she needs to rest when she can . . . We both tried to call you, but you didn't answer your phone. I wasn't sure if you were visiting Dad or not."

"Yeah, I've been at the VA for the last three days . . . your father is dying Seeley. Won't you go see him?" Hank turned to stare at his oldest grandchild. "It might give you some kind of closure."

"I don't need closure, Pops." Booth stood up and carefully stretched his back. "I'm going to go over to the hotel and rest for a while since you're here . . . When you get tired, come over to the hotel and rest. I'll come back here and watch Jared." Booth wrote down the address and room number on a piece of paper he found on the night stand and handed it to his grandfather.

Hank took the paper, sat down next to the hospital bed and stared at his younger grandson. "I have a hotel room near the VA. I slept there last night . . . I can stay here for awhile. I don't think I can sleep anyway, but I need to get back to the VA tomorrow morning. Edwin doesn't have much longer . . . he really is dying."

"Yeah." Booth grabbed his phone from the nightstand and placed it in his pants pocket. "I'll be back by one or two, Pops. Thanks for coming and I'm sorry you didn't find out about Jared sooner."

After Booth was gone, Hank stood up, moved the chair to face Jared and sat back down. "I was hoping that you and your brother would forgive your father for what he did at least long enough to say good-bye to him . . . What he did was wrong, I know that, but I thought you could just talk to him before he left us . . . I'll say good-by to him for you. I won't tell him about your accident. I won't worry him now. It won't accomplish anything . . . Son, I'm here. You wake up when you're ready . . . I love you."

Oooooooooooooooooo

Booth found Brennan sitting on the bed in her hotel room. "Hey, I thought you were going to rest."

Glad to see her boyfriend, Brennan smiled. "I did for a while, but my back started to bother me . . . How is Jared? Is he awake yet?"

"No, he's still asleep . . . Max brought Pops to the hospital. He's going to stay for awhile before he goes back to the VA to be with Dad." Booth removed his shoes and laid on the bed. "I thought I might get a few hours of sleep and then go back."

"I can stay at the hospital tomorrow morning while you go visit your father . . . if that is something you want to do." Brennan was sure Booth would turn her down, but she felt compelled to make the offer.

Tired, Booth adjusted the pillow under his head. "No, I would like you to go back home though. Max can take you. There's no reason for both of us to be at the hospital and our bed is more comfortable than this one."

She appreciated his offer, but turned him down. "No, I'll go back to the hospital with you when you wake up. I'm uncomfortable no matter where I am. This hotel is fine . . . Go to sleep, Booth. The front desk delivered a newspaper earlier. I'll read that for a while." When he didn't respond, Brennan studied him and realized that her partner was asleep. Quietly, she removed the newspaper from the nightstand next to her, opened it and began to read.

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Suddenly awake, Jared moaned when he tried to move.

"Son, you need to be still." Hank stood next to the bed and patted his grandson's arm. "You have a broken leg and some busted ribs . . . you're lucky you weren't killed."

"What happened?" Jared felt nauseous. The throbbing pain running up his leg worried him. "Man, my leg hurts."

Pumping the pain pump attached by a clip to the bed railing, Hank tried to help his grandson. "Give it a minute . . . it should get better in a minute . . . you were in a car crash. You hit a parked car . . . you were going too fast when you drove around a corner." Max had told him earlier what had happened. Hank didn't mention that he knew that the injured man had been drunk at the time. There would be time to talk about that later. "Seeley and Tempe are over at the hotel next door resting. They've been here since you were hurt." Hank didn't mention Edwin. Jared was in no shape to see his father and Edwin would likely be dead before Jared left the hospital. "Seeley will be back around one or two . . . Max is here."

Max stood up and walked over to where Jared lay. "We called your wife, Jared . . . She said she'll try to come to see you tomorrow, but she doesn't know when. She has to go to work in the morning . . . I'm glad you're awake. We were all worried about you."

Sleepy, Jared closed his eyes. "Where's my car? Is it totaled?"

Before he could answer, Max noticed that Jared was asleep. "It sure is kid." He looked at Hank. "A totaled car is the least of his problems right now . . . what a mess."

"Yeah . . . everything's a mess right now."

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	118. Chapter 118

(The Prince in the Plastic)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

Once his grandson, Seeley had returned to the hospital, Max had driven Hank back to his hotel room near the VA Hospital. He managed to sleep until eight and as rested as he was going to be, Hank returned to his son's hospital room to check on him. "I'm back, Edwin."

Drowsy from the pain medication, Edwin wiped his hand across his mouth and tried to smile. "Hi, Dad . . . I hope you slept some."

"I did, thank you." Tired, Hank moved the chair closer to the bed and sat down. "Did you eat breakfast?"

"No . . . I'm not hungry, Dad." Edwin wiped his mouth again and shifted his head on his pillow. "Um, did you ask Seeley and Jared if they'd come and say good-bye to me?" He had hoped his sons would come, but he was certain that wasn't going to happen.

Realistically he had known that his grandsons would refuse, but he still felt disappointed that they had refused to come and now that Jared was hurt there was no hope at all. "I'm sorry, Son. They're not going to come . . . I guess we knew that they wouldn't."

"I never really thanked you for saving my sons from me, Dad . . . That day you came over and saw me beating Seeley . . . If you hadn't come, I think my boy would have ended up dead. I was going to kill him. I was out of control over some stupid shit that he had done and I was going to kill him." Exhausted, Edwin lay still while a wave of pain washed through him.

"You don't know that, Son."

Weakly waving his hand, Edwin didn't want his father to sugar coat anything. "No, I do know that . . . I was . . . what I did was wrong and I am so sorry . . . Marianne, Seeley, Jared . . . I didn't want to be the way I was . . . But I was and I am so sorry." Tears slipped down his cheeks unchecked while he begged for his father to understand. "I am so sorry Dad."

"I know you are." Hank stood up and kissed his son's cheek. "You're my son, Edwin. I love you, don't you forget that. Even when I was angry with you about the boys, I still loved you. You've been messed up since you came back from Vietnam and it just got the best of you."

"I love you, Dad . . . I love you." Edwin closed his eyes as another wave of pain coursed through his body. "I'm going to miss you the most." He closed his eyes and decided he needed to rest. He'd talk to his father again when he was stronger.

Watching his son's shallow breaths, Hank knew that Edwin was leaving this world and it was probably for the best. He was in pain and once he passed from this world to the next the pain would be gone. Sitting back down, he watched his son's chest rise and fall and after a few minutes it stopped. The sudden jarring noises coming from the alarms attached to his son let the world know that Edwin Booth was no longer in this world. "I love you Son. I'll see you on the other side."

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Jared felt like hell. Opening his eyes, he found his brother sitting next to him. "Where's Pops?"

"He went to check on Dad." Booth rubbed his eyelids, he was so tired. "Dad is dying."

"Yeah, I know." His hatred for his father hadn't diminished over the years. "Pops said I have a broken leg."

Shifting in his chair, Booth felt his lower back twinge. "Yeah, some cracked ribs, bruises, contusions . . . you hit a parked car . . . Bones looked at the x-rays and she said that with therapy you'll recover . . . You're not going to be able to work for awhile and your car is totaled."

"Shit!" He had hoped his car was fixable. "No health insurance, no car, no job . . . I'm screwed."

Sympathetic towards his brother's plight, Booth stood up and rubbed his lower back. "You can stay at our house until you're back on your feet . . . you can use the room that Pop's uses when he comes to visit. The bathroom has rails on the walls and the bathtub is the kind that you can walk in and sit down. It's for handicapped people . . . The bed is lower too, so it's easier to get in and out of."

Wary of the offer his brother was making, Jared cleared his throat. "Did you clear this with Tempe? She and I don't really get along . . . it's worse than with you."

"Yes, he talked to me about it." Brennan, resting on the couch, interrupted Jared. "Hank is in a retirement home, Padme has not been by to see you, so we assume she is angry with you, so that leaves Booth and me. We are set up at home to care for someone in your condition. The only other option would be to put you in a nursing home to recover. It is your decision of course."

Jared hadn't been aware that Brennan was in the room. "I can't afford therapy or a nursing home and I'm not sure how I'm going to pay for the hospital bill . . . I've been sleeping in my car for the last week . . . I guess, I need to stay somewhere, so thanks for the offer of the room. I'd better take the offer. Once I'm able to walk, I'll get out of your hair."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan glanced at her husband then back at his brother. "Booth has some workout equipment in the garage. It includes a stationary bike and a treadmill. We'll hire a therapist and you can do your therapy in the garage. It will be cheaper and won't require you to travel."

Booth nodded his head. "Sounds like a plan. I'm not sure how long you'll be in here, but we'll move you to our house once you're released. We'll work it all out, Jared."

Disgusted with himself, Jared sighed. "I shouldn't have driven my car when I did . . . I was drinking."

"Yeah, I know. You're going to have to deal with the courts, but not right now." Booth sat back down. "Now that you're awake, Bones and I are going to go home. I'll be back once a day for a visit, but it'll have to be in the evening since I have to go to work . . . Don't count on Pops visiting you for a while. He's worried about Dad, so I'm sure he'll stay at the VA hospital until . . . until Dad dies." He was starting to feel guilty that he hadn't bothered to visit his father, but it would be too hard to be in the same room with the man. The last time he'd seen his father, the man had tried to kill him. He didn't see where he owed Edwin Booth anything. "If you need me, you have my phone number. Call me." Standing once more, Booth checked his pants pockets for his truck keys.

"Thanks, I will." Jared turned his head and stared at Brennan. "Thanks Tempe."

"You're welcome." Brennan walked over to the other side of the bed and placed her hand on Booth's arm. "I think we should go now, Booth."

Placing his hand over her hand, Booth nodded his head. "Yeah, you need some rest in your own bed."

Once they were out in the hallway, Booth took Brennan's hand in his hand. "Jared is in a hell of a fix . . . I'll see if I can get him a used car to replace his old one. He needs a car if he wants to get a job. I don't think Padme is going to bail him out."

"Alright." Brennan hated that Booth was going to spend some of his hard earned money on his brother, but he was right. If they didn't get him a car then they might be stuck with him for a while. "I'll start looking at the car ads in the newspaper and at what the dealerships are offering."

Walking down the hallway, Booth felt a sense of relief that his brother hadn't been killed, but the man was in a lot of trouble both financially and legally. He had tried to warn his brother about his drinking, but he wouldn't listen. He just didn't know what was going to happen to Jared if he didn't quit drinking.

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Once he was alone in his room, Jared began to cry. He knew he had messed up and this wasn't something that his brother could bribe the State police to ignore. He loved drinking and he never considered it to be a problem no matter what his brother had said, but hitting a parked car while driving drunk was proof that he had been kidding himself.

His father was dying from liver failure because he couldn't give up drinking and wasn't he a better man than his father? Wasn't he stronger? He had always thought he was, but now he was afraid. What if he was his father? What if he was a major screwup and his life was never going to get better? He was afraid. He was very afraid.

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	119. Chapter 119

(The Male in the Mail)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

His son gone, Hank made arrangements for Edwin to be buried by his mother, Marie in Philadelphia. Edwin had a life insurance policy that would cover his funeral and leave something extra for his son, Seeley.

Years ago, when Edwin had felt the twinges of old age settling in, he'd bought a life insurance policy. He didn't want anyone to have to find the money to bury him. He'd also made sure there was enough money left over that would go to his oldest son. The horror of what he had done to his wife and children had been with him for a long time, but the day he'd tried to kill his oldest son was forever burned into his memory. The boy had been given a model airplane for his birthday by his grandfather and being the nine year old child he was, he accidentally spilled glue on the kitchen table. For some reason he had never understood, he had lost his temper and started beating Seeley. Not satisfied with the cries coming from his son, he had grabbed him by the neck and tried to chock him.

The fact that his father had chosen that moment to come over for a visit had been divine providence as far was Edwin was concerned. Hank had grabbed him, pulled him from Seeley and threw him against the wall. He had never seen someone so angry and he knew that Hank was barely in control.

"Get out! Get out before I kill you!"

His father had meant every word and Edwin had fled the house. Those words had haunted him for years as did the thought that he had almost killed his little boy. The guilt made him pray for his boy on a daily basis and he had hoped that leaving him money would help him in some way. Oddly enough, he had thought that his treatment of Jared hadn't been that bad and that he didn't owe his youngest boy anything. His oldest boy and his wife had taken the brunt of his anger and since he couldn't do anything for Marianne, he could try to make up for what he had done to his oldest son even if it was just money.

Oooooooooooooooooo

The burden of Edwin's death rested on his shoulders and Hank knew that. Once he filled out the papers needed to release the body for burial, he had talked to a VA representative and was given numerous papers that needed to be signed by Edwin's beneficiary. Hank knew that it was going to be hard to get Seeley to sign them, but he would force him to do it if he had to. Edwin's affairs needed to be completed and he didn't want that hanging over anyone's head for very long.

After a taxi ride to the hospital he found out that Seeley and Temperance had gone home. They had jobs and they couldn't stay in the hospital with Jared. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really." Jared sipped some water through a straw and placed the glass back on the table located next to his bed. "My leg hurts like hell, but the doctor said it should calm down some in the next few days. I just need to take the medication and let it work."

Hank decided to be blunt. "Your father is dead, Jared." His grandchildren were never ones to want anything sugar coated. "He died yesterday."

"Okay." There was nothing else for him to say. Edwin had been a horrible father and the only reason that he hadn't suffered more under the man's hands had been because his brother had protected him as much as he could. "Seeley and Tempe are going to let me stay with them while my leg heals . . . I'm not sure why, but I'm glad they offered. I don't have anywhere else I can go."

Hank hadn't expected his grandson to react sad about the death of his father, but he had hoped there might be a hint of regret. "I'm glad they're going to help you . . . Has Padme come by to see you yet?"

"Nope." Not really surprised, Jared shook his head. "She's still mad at me . . . I'll try to make it up to her when I'm well. I just need to get a job. She's upset that she has a job and I don't. I get it . . . I have a friend that might hire me. I'll check with him when I can."

"I need to go and get Seeley to sign some papers. I'm going to have your father buried next to his mother . . . There isn't going to be a funeral. Just a graveside service." Edwin didn't have very many friends and Hank didn't see the point of having a funeral if he was the only one there.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

It hadn't surprised Hank that his oldest grandson didn't really care that his father was dead. The hate that his boy had for his father was deep seated and would probably always be there. He had prayed that Seeley would let that hate go someday and forgive his father. His father didn't deserve forgiveness, but Seeley needed closure.

Sitting in the kitchen watching his grandson preparing dinner, Hank decided it was time to push. "I need you to sign the papers I brought. Edwin had an insurance policy, social security, pension documents, probate forms . . . they need to be signed and you're his executor. He made you his beneficiary."

"I don't want anything from him. Nothing." Booth continued to peal garlic cloves. The fact that his father had left him money just made the situation worse. Did his father think he could buy his forgiveness? He didn't need Edwin's insurance policy. The hell with him. "He was never there for me. You raised me, not him. He was never there, understand? You don't have to defend him to me."

"I wasn't . . . He was my son. Good or bad, he was my son." Disappointed in his grandson, Hank shook his head in anger. "I got to tell you, I'm a little disappointed that you don't seem to see the hurt I'm feeling."

Surprised, Booth stared at his grandfather for a few moments and realized that he had let his hate color his reactions about his father. His grandfather had lost his son and here he was acting like nothing had happened. As much as he hated his father, he knew that his grandfather loved Edwin, like he did Parker. "I'm sorry, Pops." And he was. He should have seen the pain that his grandfather was in and been kinder.

"You don't think I know what it was like for you?" Hank tried to remain calm, but this conversation was worse than he had thought it would be. "You don't think I don't feel responsible? I raised him. Don't you feel responsible for your boy? Seeley . . . we're family. We got to get through this together."

Embarrassed that he had upset him, Booth moved over to where his grandfather was sitting and began to sign the papers his grandfather had laid on the table. "You're right. Okay, anything for you, Pops. Anything." He owed his grandfather so much, he owed him his life and he would treat the old man with the dignity and respect he deserved. "There, they're signed." He moved back over to the stove and continued to prepare dinner. Brennan was tired and lying in their bedroom resting and he needed to finish cooking dinner for her as well as them . . . "I'm sorry, Pops. I'm sorry for your loss."

He hadn't meant to speak so harshly to the boy, but he needed him to understand that there was more going on than he was seeing. He didn't want his grandson to be that callous towards someone even if that person had deserved it. That wasn't who Seeley was and he needed his boy to understand that. "Edwin is gone, Seeley. He's gone. He's going to be buried next to his mother. I don't expect you to go Philadelphia for the service. I'm just telling you what's going to happen. I'm not going to have a funeral, just a graveside service. His life insurance policy will pay for it. Since the insurance money is going to you, I'll send you the bill to pay for that and a gravestone as soon as I can . . . Thank you for signing the papers."

"Sure, Pops." He hadn't meant to be cruel towards his grandfather. He loved Hank and he shouldn't have been cruel to him about his loss. "I really am sorry about you losing your son. I know that you loved him." He didn't know what else to say. He was sorry that Hank had lost his son, but he wasn't sorry he had lost his father.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The house was quiet and everyone had retired to their bedroom. Hank had taken a long hot soak in the guest bathroom and was now resting in bed. He hoped that he would sleep. He really hadn't slept well since the VA had called him to tell him that his son was dying. Now that Edwin was gone, there were a few things that had to be taken care of then he could return to the retirement home.

Booth lay on their bed beside Brennan and stared at the ceiling. "Dad is dead." He didn't really feel anything accept relief. He was sad for his grandfather, but for himself he only felt relief.

"I'm sorry, Booth." Her lover was not showing the normal signs of grief and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to react. Normally Booth was compassionate and his indifference towards his father's demise was confusing her. She knew about his childhood and assumed that he couldn't forgive his father for the awful things he had done to him and Jared.

"I'm not." Booth exhaled deeply. "He doesn't mean anything to me."

He was making it plain that he didn't want to talk about Edwin and she wouldn't force him to. "Alright . . . I'm glad that Hank stayed the evening. He looks tired."

"Yeah . . . he reminded me that he'd lost his son. I forgot that Edwin was Pops' son, as stupid as that sounds . . . Pops is going to have a graveside service for Dad. He's going to be buried next to my grandmother."

Feeling an unusual pressure in her stomach, Brennan placed her hand over her stomach and waited to see what would happen next.

"What's wrong?" Booth had noticed the odd look on her face and he grew concerned. "Are you having your baby? Do I need to call the mid-wife?" Rolling from the mattress, he walked around the bed and knelt next to where Brennan lay. "Hey, Bones . . . are you alright?"

A slight smile on her face, Brennan looked at her partner and nodded her head. "I think you should call her. I'm not quite sure if I'm in labor, but if seems like I am." Suddenly she felt a pain rip through her body leaving her panting until it faded away . . . I think I'm sure now."

Calmly, Booth retrieved her phone from the nightstand, checked her contacts and made the call. Once that was done, he removed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from the dresser and got dressed. "Do you need anything? Would you like some water?"

Another pain shooting through her, Brennan shook her head. "I just need the mid-wife."

Dressed, he walked down the hallway and woke his grandfather. "Pops, I hate to wake you up, but I need you to go to the living room and let the mid-wife in when she arrives. Bones is in labor and I need to stay with her."

Instantly alert, Hank moved from the bed and dressed. "You go see about Temperance, I'll watch for the mid-wife . . . Go, Seeley."

"Thanks, Pops." Moving back into the bedroom, Booth sat on the edge of the bed and held Brennan's hand. "Hey . . . I'm here, Bones. You're not alone . . . I love you."

"I love you too, Booth." Clutching his hand, she felt more pain course through her body. "The pain is worse than I thought it would be . . . Reading about what to expect hasn't really prepared me for this." Brennan gasped as the pain returned. Once it was past, she exhaled deeply. "I wish my mother was here."

Surprised at that remark, Booth walked into the bathroom, retrieved a clean hand towel and brought it back to wipe the beads of sweat from her face. "I wish she was too."

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	120. Chapter 120

(The Male in the Mail)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Even though it seemed like a frantic time to everyone involved, Brennan had her baby girl and both she and the child were in good health. Booth had stayed in the room and tried to help comfort Brennan during the delivery of their baby and Brennan had appreciated his many kindnesses. She had never felt as much pain as she had felt delivering her baby, but when it was over, all she could think was that it had been worth it.

While Brennan was in labor, Hank had called Max to let him know that he was going to be a grandfather soon. The conman had made it to the house an hour before the baby was born and he was grateful that Hank had thought of him.

The baby was of average weight and length for a new born and that was fine for everyone. Christine Angela Booth had made an appearance during a rather sad moment in Hank Booth's life and he appreciated that a new life had entered the Booth line to replace the loss of his son. His one regret was that Edwin and his sons hadn't been able to connect in the last few years of Edwin's life. Much to his regret, his son had been a horrible parent and Hank couldn't get around that, but the man had been mentally ill and his addiction to alcohol had made the situation much worse.

When the midwife was ready for them, both Max and Hank had been allowed to enter Brennan and Booth's bedroom and they had both held the sleeping baby. Max couldn't get over how his granddaughter looked like his daughter when she had been a baby and Hank had wept tears of joy knowing that he had lived long enough to see another great-grandchild enter into the world.

Watching Max and Hank react towards his daughter, Booth felt pride in his family. For a long time, he hadn't thought he would have one, but Brennan had changed everything and he would always be grateful that she had taken a chance on him. Parker had given him a lot of joy and he expected Christine would do the same. He loved Brennan so much and now they had a daughter together. His grandfather had had a blow yesterday when he had lost his son, but he now had a great-granddaughter to help him recover. A life had left this earth and another had entered it.

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Booth had called the cemetery where his grandmother was buried and found out when his father was going to be buried. "Bones, I need to go to the grave site service. Not because my father is dead, but because my grandfather lost his son. He's always been there for me and I need to be there for him. I'd like to get Max to stay here for a couple of days. I'll drive up to Philadelphia, attend the service and maybe stay a day or two with Pops . . . I know he's disappointed that I didn't go see Dad when he was dying and I want to try to make up for that."

"I understand, Booth." Brennan was feeding her baby and couldn't get over how satisfying it was to see the child content. She had always feared she would be an awful parent, but so far she found that being a mother was not the mystery she thought it would be. She was confident she could handle any emergency that came up and Booth needed to support his grandfather during his time of grief. "I'll call Max. I'm sure it won't be a problem." The child finished, Brennan gently burped her and smiled when Christine gave out a lusty belch. "Would you like to hold her?"

"You know I would." Booth lifted he baby from her mother's arms, walked over to the chair near the closet and sat down. "She's so beautiful . . . just like you."

Flattered, Brennan nodded her head. "She is exceptional."

"She is." Booth knew that Brennan was aware of just how beautiful she was and sometimes it amused him. There was no false modesty in his partner. "I'm going to miss you guys, but it will only be for a few days . . . I'll let Jared know. They don't plan to let him out of the hospital until Friday. I'll be back in time to bring him back here."

"When is Jared expected in court to answer for the DUI charge?" Brennan wanted to make sure that Jared didn't miss that appearance.

Christine now asleep, Booth lowered his voice when he replied. "I need to let the judge's clerk know when Jared is released from the hospital and she'll give him a court date. I'll take him to court and see what happens from there."

"Will he get jail time?" Brennan knew that Booth's brother needed therapy and he might not get any if he was in prison.

His gaze flicked from his daughter to his partner, Booth shook his head. "I don't know. He's had three DUIs, only one of them stuck . . . so I don't know. For the one he was convicted of, his driver's license was suspended for 180 days. I expect him to get jail time this time, but I'm hoping the Judge will show mercy. Jared is going to need therapy for that leg. Right now, that cast is from his ankle to just below his hip. I don't know if the court wants to deal with that or not. It will depend upon the prosecutor and the judge. We'll just have to wait and see."

"I hope that Jared takes this as a cautionary tale and gives up drinking alcohol." Brennan knew that Jared wasn't as strong as Booth and she knew that it would have to be up to Jared.

"Yeah, me too." Disgusted with his brother, Booth hoped that this time, his brother would consider making some big changes in his life. "No one can make him give it up. Look at Dad. Pops got him into a program a few months before he went nuts on me and beat the shit out of me. He gave up drinking for two weeks, but he wanted the booze more than he wanted his family. Jared has to want this or it's not going to work."

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Hank had walked slowly from the parking lot to the grave site where his son was going to be buried. He was starting to feel his age. The death of a child is hard to take even if that child is in his 60's and he knew that he would miss Edwin even if no one else did. As he approached the grave site, he was surprised to see his grandson Seeley talking to the priest.

When he finally reached the grave site, he stopped and stared at his grandson. "Seeley?"

"Pops." Booth turned to face his grandfather. "I couldn't let you go through this by yourself. You've lost your son and you shouldn't have to bury him alone."

His throat tight from emotion, Hank reached out and grasped his grandson's arm. "Thank you, Seeley . . . I appreciate that you came."

"We're family, Pops. We'll get through this together." The coffin was oak and glistened in the sun. "You picked a nice coffin. Dad always did like oak."

"Yeah . . . I remember when he found that oak rocking chair at a garage sale and bought it for $25. He bragged about that chair for a long time." Hank felt a tear fall down his cheek and he let it. "Vietnam kind of messed him up. He was a damn good pilot, but when he was shot down and injured . . . they gave him a medical discharge and that made him bitter. He didn't want to give up being a pilot, but they didn't care what he wanted. He tried a few things after that, but he didn't seem satisfied until his uncle offered him a job as a barber and he liked that job . . . It was the drinking that did him in. If he could have given it up, he wouldn't have . . . he would have been better off . . . He just couldn't give it up and now it's killed him."

Placing his arm around his grandfather's shoulders, Booth shook his head. "He's at peace, Pops. Whatever demons that were chasing him aren't chasing him anymore."

"Yeah." Hank dabbed at his eyes with his handkerchief. "He's with his mother now. They always got on so well."

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Back home, Booth entered the house and found Brennan in the kitchen with Christine and Max was cooking lunch and regaling his daughter with stories about some of the crazy things he'd done as a boy. "Hey, I'm home."

Flashing a smile at Booth, Brennan stood up and walked over to where her mate was standing. After kissing him, she handed his daughter to him. "I'm glad you're home."

"Me too." Booth leaned over and kissed his daughter's cheek. "Pops is back at the retirement home. He needs the rest. He gave me a box that belonged to my Dad. I didn't want to take it, but . . . well, I couldn't say no to Pops."

"Did you open it?" Brennan was curious and hoped she got to see the contents of the box.

He wasn't sure what he was going to do with the box, but for now, he was going to place it in the closet. "No. Maybe someday, but I don't want to look at it right now . . . Have you talked to Jared? Is he doing okay?"

"Yes, I talked to him." Brennan took Christine from Booth's arms and sat down at the kitchen table. "He's still in pain, but it's not as bad as the day he woke from surgery."

"I'm going to go unpack and if Max has made enough lunch, I'll join you two."

Turning from the stove, Max held up the spatula and waved it. "I always cook enough for left overs . . . We're eating in about fifteen minutes. You can set the table."

"Will do." Amused, Booth winked at Brennan and left the room. Once he was in their bedroom, he unloaded his bag including the wooden box his grandfather had given him. Shoving the box on the top shelf of the closet under his gun case, Booth placed the bag in the bottom of the closet and left the room to join his family in the kitchen. He was glad he had gone to Philadelphia to be with his grandfather. The old man deserved respect and support and he would always give him both.

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	121. Chapter 121

(The Crack in the Code)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The first few days in Booth and Brennan's home set the pattern for the rest of Jared's stay. He was given the guest bedroom at the end of the hallway. The bed was comfortable, the bathroom was set up for someone who was handicapped and there was a television on the top of the dresser. Brennan bought and had placed a lift chair next to the bed which meant Jared could get in and out of the chair with no help required. He used that piece of furniture more than his bed.

A physical trainer was hired and Jared began therapy the day after he moved in. Both Jared and Micky Cooper would move out to the garage where Booth's home gym was and they would do two hours of therapy then Jared would get a massage.

Brennan was still home with her baby, but she had made arrangements for Day Care and planned to go back to work in a few weeks. She hired a house cleaner to come and help straighten out the house twice a week. Booth hadn't been thrilled with the idea of having a stranger in the house cleaning up after them, but Brennan had pointed out that they didn't have time to keep the house as spotless as it should be, at least for a new born child. Reluctantly, Booth had agreed and decided that he could put up with it for a few months until they could get their act together. Having a baby in the house was more time consuming than he had thought possible. When Parker had been a baby, he'd only had to take care of him eight days a month and he'd always straightened up his apartment once the boy was back with his mother. Christine was a 24 hour a day, seven day a week responsibility and some concessions had to be made.

To help Brennan adjust to a new life style, Max stayed in the guest bedroom downstairs until it was time for her to go back to work. He wanted to help take care of the baby so his daughter could rest and recover from her pregnancy. Also, he had a lot of fun being around his granddaughter. She was a happy baby and easily entertained.

Two days before Brennan was to return to work, she and Booth sat down and talked with Jared. "Look, Bones and I have been talking it over and we think it would be a good idea to hire someone to come in and help you during the day when we aren't here. Whoever we get could cook you breakfast and lunch, help you get a bath after your therapy and be company for you. Right now, that cast is really limiting what you can do and I think it would only be until you get a shorter cast." Booth was trying to organize the household, so that he didn't have to worry about his brother while he was at work.

"I don't need a babysitter." It was embarrassing and Jared didn't like the feeling. "I can get my own breakfast and lunch and you can help me with a bath when you come home."

Annoyed, Brennan tried to control her response. "Jared, you can barely move with crutches. If you wish to live on cereal and sandwiches, I suppose I could make sure those items are abundant in the house, but under no circumstance will you be allowed to cook anything. Hank set off a small fire on our stove when he was staying with us after recovering from his heart attack. It only takes moments for an accident to happen. Also, if you were to fall, you would be unable to get up and there would be no one here to get you help . . . Put aside your pride and let us help you. The purpose of you being here is make sure you get help and therapy while you recover."

His cheeks a dark rose color, Jared stared straight ahead and fumed about how out of control his life was.

"Look, Jared, you have a court date next Tuesday. You have to answer for the accident and the fact that you were driving drunk. This isn't going to go away." Booth leaned forward on his chair and tried to make sure Jared knew that the worse was yet to come. "I can't stop this. I hired a lawyer that Caroline recommended to take your case. We're hoping that the judge will show you some mercy and keep you out of jail, but jail is a real possibility. Do you understand?"

Afraid, Jared turned his head to look at his brother. "If they put me in jail I'll be screwed. No therapy, I don't know if I can get around. Any wise ass that wants to come after me could do it."

"I know." Booth sighed. He was afraid that Jared was going to pay a big price for what he had done. "I'd like to take you to an AA meeting this week. We can tell the judge that you're making sure you don't repeat what you did, but that's up to you . . . I think this is going to be your one shot to get this right, Jared . . . I'll help you if you want me to, but this is up to you. It has to be your decision, not mine."

With visions of his father running around in his head, Jared placed his right hand over his eyes and exhaled deeply. "I'm not our father, Seeley. I don't want to be like this." He removed his hand and stared at his brother. "I love to drink, I really do, but I don't want to end up like Dad. Alone, no friends, no family except for Pops. I don't want to live that life. Padme won't even take my phone calls. I have to get my act together or I'm going to lose her too, hell I may have already lost her. She knows I was hurt and she won't talk to me . . . I'll go with you to the AA meeting Seeley. I'll do what it takes to get this shit under control. What choice do I have?"

Relieved, Booth sighed. "Good. I'll find you a meeting that you can attend. Obviously, basements in churches are out. I'll contact a friend of mine and see what I can find. I'll take you to court next week and we'll see what happens from there. We can't really make a lot of plans until we know what's going to happen to you. In the meantime, take your therapy seriously this week, do what you can. We'll get that sitter we talked about and that will start on Thursday. Bones is going back to work on that day."

"If you don't want us to hire a sitter, I can ask Max to stay for a few weeks." Brennan stared at her almost brother-in-law and wondered how the man would react.

Surprisingly, Jared nodded his head. "That would be great. If you can get your father to stay that would be better. I know he can't help me if I fall, but he can call for an EMT to come and pick me up and I know him. Well a little and it would be better than a stranger messing with me . . . I can get in the tub and Max can wrap my cast with trash bags and I can give myself a bath. He can take the bags off when I'm done and help me dress. Yeah, I'd rather have Max here instead of a stranger."

"I'll talk to him when he gets back from the store." Brennan glanced at Booth and nodded her head. "If he agrees, I think it would be better than relying upon someone we don't really know."

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Her first case back to work was truly bizarre and eventually Brennan realized that the case had been set up specially for her and Booth to solve. All the clues pointed to a hacktiavist by the name of Christopher Pelant. He was responsible for the deaths of a foreign national and a reporter and because the man was wearing a monitoring device on his ankle during the times of the murders, no one could prove he had killed them. He was a computer genius, but he didn't own a computer or a any electronic device more sophisticated that a television and an old computer that didn't work. He had been convicted of endangering American soldiers because of his computer activism and part of his parole was that he was forbidden to own or use any computer equipment.

"He found a way to remove his monitoring device without setting it off." Brennan was incensed. "He committed murder and we can't prove it."

Disgusted, Booth bit back his anger and kept his voice calm. They had a baby in the car with them and he didn't want to make her cry. "Look, Angela and Hodgins and some of my FBI techs are working on this one. Pelant may be a computer genius, but so is Angela. We're going to find out how he did what he did. He's not going to get away with murder. Not if I can help it."

She wished she had Booth's confidence. She thought about it for a few minutes and finally spoke. "He is a genius, but I'm smarter than he is. Sooner or later his arrogance will betray him and we will arrest him for the murder of Inger Johannsen and Ezra Krane."

Pulling into the driveway, Booth hoped that the arrest was soon. "You are smarter than Pelant. We're going to get him."

Once they were in the house and Christine was carried into the bathroom so Brennan could give her a bath, Booth wandered into the kitchen and found Max cooking. "How'd it go today?"

Checking on his spaghetti sauce, Max gave it a quick stir and replaced the lid on the pot. "Not bad. Jared had his therapy and I helped him take a bath . . . Your brother . . . just to let you know, I moved the beer from the fridge and put them in your little fridge in your man cave . . . I caught Jared holding a bottle this afternoon. I was out collecting the mail and when I came back in . . . well, he put it back on the shelf, but I think that beer was tempting him."

"Okay, thanks." Booth didn't know what to say. He hoped that Jared was serious about stopping drinking, but no one knew for sure except for Jared. "I guess I won't buy anymore until he's out of the house . . . thanks for letting me know."

"Not a problem. This is a family thing and we need to stick together." Max broke some pasta in the boiling water and stirred it. "Dinner is going to be ready in about twenty minutes if you want to set the table."

The sauce smelled delicious and Booth realized that he was hungry. "You know you don't have to cook. I appreciate it, but Bones and I can cook when we come home."

Shrugging his shoulders, Max placed some garlic bread in the oven. "It's not like I'm busy. Jared mostly stays in his room and watches television and I like cooking. I don't know how to cook a lot of different things, but what I do cook is pretty good even if I do have to say so myself."

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Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	122. Chapter 122

(The Prisoner in the Pipe)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Jared wanted a drink. He wanted to drink beer or Scotch or anything else he could get his hands on, but he knew he couldn't. He'd been restless most of the evening. At around two in the morning, he had arisen from bed and shuffled into the living room using his crutches. It was a slow and painful walk, but he needed to exercise anyway. Once he was in the living room, he had moved over to his brother's liquor cabinet, poured himself a glass of Scotch, placed the full glass on the coffee table and sat down on a chair near the couch. He spent the next thirty minutes staring at the glass wondering when he had allowed himself to become so dependent upon anything. His father had been a drunk, a hateful, belligerent, abusive drunk.

"What are you doing?" Booth had awoken from a sound sleep and out of habit, got out of bed to check on the doors and windows to make sure everything was locked. It was a nervous habit he'd had most of his adult life. Entering the living room, he had seen his brother sitting near the couch, staring at something on the coffee table. When he moved further into the room, he saw it was a glass filled with what he assumed was liquor.

Not really surprised to see his brother at such a late hour, Jared sighed. "I'm trying to figure out when I turned into Dad."

His brother sounded so sad and it hurt Booth to think his brother was fighting a battle that he might not be able to conquer. "You're not Dad, Jared. That sorry son-of-a-bitch beat the shit out of his family. He didn't care about anyone but himself. He was a bully and he loved the power it gave him over us."

"Yeah . . . I don't want to drink, Seeley. I don't want to be Dad." Silently, Jared leaned over and picked up the glass and held it out to his brother. "I didn't drink any of it. I wanted to, but I didn't . . . I'm trying Seeley."

"I know you are." Booth took the glass and placed it on the coffee table near him and sat down on the couch. "We have to go to court tomorrow morning. I don't know what's going to happen. The lawyer I hired is good and he might be able to get you a reduced sentence, but it's going to come with a price. You know that."

Worried, Jared nodded his head. "Yeah. I really screwed up this time . . . Thanks for going with me. I appreciate what you've done for me so far."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth yawned. "Sorry . . . You're my brother, of course I'm going to go with you. Once we get this squared away, we can make plans, but what happens next will depend upon the judge."

"Yeah." Jared pushed himself up and once that was done, he grabbed his crutches and shuffled back towards his room. "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. William Shakespeare."

Once he was alone, Booth stared at the glass of Scotch for a few moments, carried it into the kitchen and poured it in the sink. Going back into the living room, he passed the liquor cabinet and knew that his brother had to fight his battle alone. He would support him, but Jared was the instrument of his own fate.

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The court case didn't turn out like Booth had anticipated and for that he was grateful. The judge had ruled that Jared would lose his driver's license for a year and be on probation for two years. No jail time which Jared had considered miraculous, but his lawyer didn't. With Jared in a long cast and needing special care, no prison wanted to deal with him unless they had to. The fact that he was living with his brother, was in AA meetings and that he was getting therapy for his injuries helped his case. The judge was also stern and let Jared know that one more DUI and he would serve time in jail and it wouldn't matter if he was in a body cast or not. He was being given a chance to straighten up his life and he'd better take it.

Relieved that his brother wouldn't be spending any time in prison, Booth had driven Jared home, helped him into the house, told Max what had happened and left for work. Once he arrived, he found a pile of folders on his desk and cursed the person who had put them there. He loved his job but hated the paper work that went with it.

Working diligently, he didn't realize he had company until he heard someone clearing their throat near the doorway. Looking up, he spied Sweets standing just inside his office. "What do you want?"

Cautiously, the younger man moved into the room and sat down in front of Booth's desk. "How did it go with your brother?"

"The judge gave him two years of probation, a suspended driver's license for a year and he has to provide proof that he's attending AA meetings to his probation officer once a month. No jail time."

"That's wonderful." Sweets had feared that Booth's brother was going to go to prison. "I hope Jared understands that he's dodged a bullet. The judge could have sent him to prison."

Grunting, Booth leaned back against his chair. "Oh believe me, he knows. So far, he's doing pretty good. He hasn't drunk any alcohol since his accident. He's been tempted, but so far he's beat it . . . I think my father's death and the accident was the wake up call Jared needed. He keeps telling me he doesn't want to be like Dad . . . I'm hoping he makes it."

"Good, that's good." Sweets crossed his legs and placed his hands on his lap. "How is Dr. Brennan doing? I hope having Jared in the house is not causing her too much pressure. She is recovering from giving birth."

"She's alright." Booth glanced at the bullpen and saw two of his agents arguing about something. He decided to leave them alone unless they got too loud. "Her father is staying with us and helping with Christine and Jared. We have someone coming in to help clean the house. Bones and I need to come up with a schedule of some kind. We don't want a permanent housekeeper, but we also don't want to get rid of the help until Jared is out of the house. Max isn't a young man and it would be nice if there was someone else in the house in case of an emergency. Christine is in Day Care, so she's okay . . . Bones had a tough time dropping off our baby to leave with strangers, but she's handling it. I knew she would."

Slowly nodding his head, Sweets could see that Booth and Brennan were handling their situation the best way they could. "Well, I just wanted to make sure Jared was okay." Sweets stood up. "If you need to talk to me about anything let me know and if you'd like me to talk to Jared, I can do that too."

"Thanks, Sweets." Booth leaned back towards his desk and flipped open a folder. The argument in the bullpen was over and everyone seemed to be at their desks working. "I'll see if Jared is interested in talking to you."

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Brennan had just come back from Day Care to check on her baby and she was feeling a little odd. She hated to just drop off her baby, but what choice did she have? She had a job and she needed to be at the Lab to do her work. As she walked down the hallway, she noticed Hodgins leaving his office. "Dr. Hodgins . . . Have you got the results back on the test you ran this morning?"

"Yeah, Dr. B." Standing just outside his office, he waited for Brennan to come closer. "The victim is Rob Lazebnik. He escaped from the federal penitentiary at Jamestown four weeks ago."

"It would have been wiser, if he had stayed in prison." Brennan removed her phone from her lab coat and showed him Christine's latest picture. "I took this one a little while ago."

Holding the phone, Hodgins smiled at the sweet picture. "She is so cute, Dr. B. She's going to be a heart breaker when she gets older."

"I hope not." Brennan knew what the phrase meant and she detested it. "I hope she will be a kind and generous person, but also strong and independent."

"Yeah." Amused, Hodgins handed the phone back. "How did it go in court for Jared?"

Once the photo album was closed, Brennan placed her phone in her Lab coat. "He won't get jail time. He has lost his driver's license for one year and he is on probation. Booth was surprised his brother didn't get jail time, but we are relieved he didn't."

"That's good. Jail would have been pretty tough being in a cast like he is." Hodgins glanced down the hallway and lowered his voice. "Have you talked to Angela today?"

"No, I haven't. Is there something wrong?" Brennan began to worry. Was Angela sick? She hadn't seen her all morning.

Placing his hands in his Lab coat pockets, Hodgins shook his head. "No, in fact everything is going great . . . I just wondered if you had talked Angela today."

"Should I talk to Angela?" Brennan wasn't good at picking up social cues, but Hodgins was clearly trying to tell her something without actually saying whatever it was.

"Um, yeah, maybe you should." He couldn't help it, but Hodgins couldn't stop grinning. "You really should talk to her like right now."

Since he was smiling, Brennan assumed that there wasn't anything to be concerned about, but still, she was wary of this conversation. Turning abruptly on her heels, she walked back down the hallway to her friend's office. Once she was there, she entered the office and spied Angela rubbing her hand in small circles around her stomach. "Are you pregnant?"

Startled, Angela took a step back then turned to face her friend. "What? No. I mean what makes you think that?"

"Hodgins insisted that I talk to you. He's very happy and can't stop smiling and you're in your office rubbing your stomach. It would seem that the clues lead to only one possibility." Brennan watched her friend closely to see how she would react and react she did.

"We're supposed to be keeping this a secret until my second trimester, but yes I am." Angela rushed across the room and hugged her friend. "Oh Honey, I'm so excited. We just had it confirmed yesterday afternoon." Stepping back, Angela peered around her friend's shoulder and made sure the hallway was empty. "Please don't tell anyone. We want to wait to tell everyone like you did."

Happy for her friends, Brennan smiled and patted Angela's arm. "I won't tell anyone, but you really need to tell Hodgins to quit grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Everyone will know before the day is done if he doesn't."

Rolling her eyes, Angela shook her head. "He's been so happy since we found out, but yes, I will talk to him."

"Congratulations, Angela. I am happy for you and Hodgins."

"Thank you, Honey . . . This seems like a dream, but a happy dream, a very happy dream."

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	123. Chapter 123

(The Do in the Don't)

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I don't own Bones.

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Bored and in pain, Jared snarled at Max who had come into the guest bedroom to check on him. "I don't need you hovering over me, okay?" The therapist had done what he could that day, but Jared felt that it had been too much. He was still in his long cast and he felt like a turtle being asked to do cat things. His leg was throbbing and he wasn't due to take a pain pill for another two hours. "Where's my pain pills? I need to take one."

His arms folded against his chest, Max studied the younger man for a few seconds and finally responded. "You're an alcoholic and you're asking about drugs . . . want to trade one addiction for another because that's what's going to happen if you use that stuff as a crutch."

"What do you know about pain?" It seemed that the world was always telling him what to do and Jared was sick of it. "I'm not a drug addict. I'm in real pain."

"I didn't say you are a drug addict, Jared." Max sighed. "What do I know about pain? Do you think no one in this world has suffered from anything besides you? That's an odd point of view considering your father just died of liver cancer . . . I know about pain. When I was a young man, before I met my wife, I helped rob a liquor store. I was desperate for money at the time and my job was a minimum wage job. It wasn't going to get me what I needed and I took a short cut or tried to. My friend Bret and I borrowed some cheap ass guns from a friend and we bought a box of bullets. We robbed a place in Zanesville, Ohio. The man that owned the store pulled a shotgun on us . . . he killed Bret and I was hit in my left arm and my left side. Bret took the brunt of most of the shotgun pellets. While the old man held his gun on me, I held Bret in my arms while he bled out and died. They took me to the hospital afterward and they picked out shot from my arm and chest . . . I still have a couple of beads under my skin on my chest. I was dumped in jail and believe me I wasn't given the care you are being given right now."

Curious, Jared pointed his finger at his care giver. "What was so important that you needed money badly enough to rob a liquor store?"

"My mother was a type 1 diabetic. She'd lost her job because of it and my Dad wasn't around." Max shook his head. "I was fifteen years old and I was trying to help support my mother. She ran out of insulin and we didn't have money to buy more . . . She died while I was in jail waiting to go on trial. A neighbor hadn't seen her for a couple of days and he asked the cops to do a welfare check. She died in bed because she didn't have any damn insulin. I screwed up and my mother died." His throat tight, Max turned and left the room. He didn't know why he had told Jared that story since he rarely talked about his mother. Her death was still so painful and he still blamed himself for her death.

Feeling like an ass, Jared slowly raised the lift chair and stood up. Shuffling down the hallway, he found the older man in the kitchen sitting next to the table. "Look, Max. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for talking the way I talked to you and I'm sorry about your mother . . . Seeley and I lost our mother when we were little kids too . . . My Dad beat the shit out of her and broke her hip when he threw her down a flight of stairs. I was three years old and Seeley was seven. Mom never came back. She ran away and left us behind . . . Don't blame yourself for your mother's death. You were a kid . . . You were just too young to help her like Seeley and I were too young to help our mother. Shit happens, but you can't shoulder that responsibility."

Surprised that Jared was being so kind, Max nodded his head. "I do blame myself, but it doesn't bring her back . . . I learned a valuable lesson at a young age. Don't rob liquor stores or anyplace else that might have guns. I made my living conning people. It wasn't the best life and it got my wife killed, I lost my kids for a while . . . My life was a train wreck I guess, so what do I know? . . . Look I don't want you taking pain pills until it's time to take them. You're an alcoholic which means you have an addictive personality. Read a book, play chess with me or we can talk. Sitting in your chair in your room by yourself isn't helping you. You're going to get through this, but you need to make sure you don't become a pill addict doing it."

"Okay, I get it." Jared pointed at the plate of cookies on the table. "Can I have some of those and a glass of milk . . . my mother used to make me cookies when I was little . . . I still miss her sometimes and sometimes I don't. I guess it's complicated."

Placing three cookies on a napkin, Max poured a glass of milk from the carton in the fridge and pointed at the doorway. "Go sit on the recliner in the living room and I'll bring this stuff. We can see what's on television." Following the younger man into the living room, Max waited until Jared was sitting down and handed him the glass and placed the napkin on Jared's lap. "My mother didn't make cookies or cake. She was a diabetic and she was tempted to eat that stuff if it was in the house . . . I didn't mind though. I didn't need the cookies, but I did need my mother."

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Her clothes were uncomfortable and she didn't know what to do about it. Well, she did, but that would require that she accept that her body had changed and she was never going to be the shape she was before Christine was born. She was well aware what pregnancy could do to the female body and she was reluctantly coming to the conclusion that she needed to buy new clothes. Her bust was bigger and her waist was thicker. She worked out as much as possible and she still hoped to reduce some of the inches on her body, but in the mean time she needed clothes that were comfortable.

One of her worries was that Booth might not understand what she was going through. He encouraged her to work out and he made special vegetarian dishes for her to make sure she was eating properly, but she feared he was expecting her to reach for something unattainable. She was still beautiful, but she was never going to have the body she had just a year ago. She just hoped that Booth understood that.

When she was younger, when she didn't have any emotional entanglements with anyone, she had come to the conclusion that love wasn't real. She thought that all emotional relationships were temporary and that anyone she became attached to would eventually leave her. She had changed her mind about love over time and she felt that she could trust Booth, but she had changed in the last few months and it was possible that he wouldn't accept those changes.

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He was worried, Brennan seemed to be unhappy and he thought it was because she was having trouble with her weight. It was taking her a while to lose the weight she had gained while she was pregnant and he wondered if she was having self-image problems. She had always seen herself as beautiful, but lately all she did was complain about her clothes and how uncomfortable she was. He told her as often as he could that she was beautiful and sexy and she meant everything to him, but she didn't seem to believe him.

He had lived with her trust issues for as long as he had known her. When they first started working together, she had told him often that love wasn't real and that relationships didn't last. It had taken her years to understand that love was a real emotion and that she could trust him to never walk away from her. Now he felt that she was judging him and worrying about his attraction towards her. As far as he was concerned, she was as beautiful as ever and a few extra inches in her bust was actually pretty sexy. He wanted her to accept that he didn't care about the changes in her, but she didn't seem to be able to. He hoped that he could find a way around the problem before it became a bigger problem, but he wasn't sure how to accomplish that.

"Hey, Bones, have I told you today that I love you and you're so beautiful?" He didn't know what else to say. He didn't want her to think he was being insincere, but she needed to know how he felt about her.

"Yes, you have told me that . . . you do know that it isn't necessary to tell me that every day." She was pulling on her blouse and trying to settle it across her shoulders, but it seemed to make the bust area tighter. "Unless you are unhappy with the way I look and you're overcompensating."

"What?" Shocked, Booth stepped back a step and wondered how she could think such a thing. "No, absolutely not. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. You're beautiful, you're sexy and I love you."

She studied his body language for a few seconds and decided she didn't know what he really thought and it was time to have a serious conversation. "There are hormonal and physiological changes that the body goes through after childbirth. It's a fascinating process, but for some men, those changes can make them lose interest in their mates."

He was being tested and he knew it. "Hey. . . Hey Bones." He moved closer and took her hands in his firm grip. "Those men don't live with you." Moving even closer, he kissed her lightly on the lips. "I knew we were meant to be together from the beginning . . .Yeah, you drove me a little crazy at first, but that was before I got to know you. You're honest, straightforward, independent, faithful, compassionate, brilliant and absolutely beautiful. I loved you for such a long time and when you agreed to have a relationship with me . . . well, you were my dream come true. I love you, Bones. I'm interested in you, in the things you do, in the things you say. I'm interested in the changes you've gone through and I have to say I love those changes. I'm not leaving you . . . I'm never leaving you. Do you understand?"

His words were spoken softly, but forcefully. The glint in his eyes, the slight smile on his lips and she knew that he meant what he was saying. "I love you too, Booth." She kissed him and she felt him respond. He held her tightly against his body and she wanted to feel more of him. She moved her hands through his hair and their kisses deepened.

A loud cough broke through and they reluctantly separated. "You do know you have a bedroom?" Max chuckled. The panting and the wild look on their faces made him realize that they had forgot that they weren't alone in the house. "I mean it's okay to have sex in the living room, but you should probably wait until Jared and I aren't here."

Embarrassed, Booth's cheeks were a mottled red. "We were just kissing."

"Uh huh." Max shook his head, unable to hide his smile. "Jared's therapist is on the way. I may hang out in the garage with them during his session. He'll be here in fifteen minutes." Chuckling, he walked over to the stairs leading down to the basement and whistled while he descended to the man cave below.

"He is such a smart ass." Booth turned back to face Brennan. "He is right. We do have a bedroom . . . want to um . . . want to have a little afternoon delight?"

Her eyes sparkling with happiness, Brennan grabbed Booth's hand and pulled him down the hallway. "First we will check on Christine and then we will partake of each other . . . I do think I will be happy when we are the only adults in this house . . . they are inhibiting our methods of love making."

"Yeah, they're cramping our style." Booth followed Brennan down the hallway and loved how she was gripping his hand so hard. "You know I'm coming. You don't have to hold my hand this hard. It's not like I want to escape or something."

"I know . . . I'm in a hurry and I don't want you to dawdle." She laughed and hurried her pace. She was looking forward to seeing her man in his natural state and she was certain that he was eager to see her in her natural state too. Her body might have changed a little, but she knew he didn't care, not the way he had responded in the living room. He couldn't hide his physical reaction towards her and that was all she needed to understand that their relationship was fine.

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